Sara Wenger & Emma Hauer
WGS 383
Paula Gandara
Christina
Hernandes: Life as a Brazilian Woman Writer
Christina
Hernandes was born in Paraisópolis, Minas Gerais, but when she was only four
years-old her family moved to São José
dos Campos. Growing up in Southeastern Brazil has provided Christina with a lot
of opportunities. In one of our numerous e-mails, she went into great detail
about the differences between North and South Brazil. South Brazil is a lot
more developed because of all the industries that settled there. A lot of
industries migrated to the South because of the tax incentives given by the
government. Christina told us the government did not want big industries to
settle in the North because all of the droughts and lack of professionals.
Christina
describes São José dos Campos as a beautiful place to live. There are
prestigious universities, highly qualified teachers, cinemas, shopping malls,
and a very prominent engineering university. She has been married for 37 years
to a lawyer, Wagner. Christina illustrates their life together as very happy
and says that her “life is very good.” They have two children together: a
daughter who is 36 years-old and works as a dentist in the Brazilian Air Force
and a 33-year-old son who works as a federal civil servant. Christina
reiterated to us her family dynamic has never changed because she is a writer
and she always has the support of her family.
She
was inspired to become a children’s writer from her maternal grandfather. He
would always read to her and her nine brothers at bedtime. The world of fantasy
was introduced to her at the age of three, and motivated her to follow her
passions. When we asked her if there was one message she wants her readers to
receive from her books she said “to make friendship an art living.” We loved
this concept because it demonstrates that cultures, no matter how different
they can be, share the importance of family and friends. She also emphasized
the importance of passing on “a positive message and moral, ethical, solidarity
concepts.”
We read one of her
stories called “The Battle Has Ended” and
learned firsthand how powerful and heartwarming Christina’s messages are for
her children audience. The story was heart-wrenching because it is about a
little boy who loses his best friend, and although the little boy is grieving
for his best friend, he manages to stand strong until the end of the story. He
sits outside every single day in the same spot and one day his mother asks him
why he insists on sitting out there. He tells her he is waiting until his best
friend, who is dead, to be situated in the new life he is in. Until then, he
will continue to sit out there. It shows children friendship is something to be
treasured and loved no matter what life might throw your way.
Government Woes
The Brazilian
government has faced a lot of trials and tribulations throughout history. In
1958, when Christina was born, Brazil was under rule by the second republic.
The dictatorship played a huge role in censorship (Brazil: Government and
History). Directors and authors had to be creative when they directed or wrote
anything about the government: if it was not a positive message about the
government, it would have never have been printed or appeared on the big
screen. In order for authors to convey their central messages about the
government, they had to be subtle. Carlos Diegues, director of
Xica de Siliva did this and so
does Christina.
In Hernandes’s
short children’s story“The Battle Has
Ended,” the initial message children will take away is friendship is forever,
but throughout the story there are subtle criticisms of the government. She
starts the story with two little boys who love to play G.I . Joes and Indians.
For days they play the game of war, and when Hernandes comments on the
casualties of war, she says, “unfortunately, this war was meaningless, women,
children and soldiers died. But also, there was no way to avoid it.” This
sentiment would arguably not quite register with young children, but luckily a
majority of children’s books are read to children by their parents, who will
definitely understand the message Hernandes is attempting to convey. She is not
simply remarking about the game the boys are playing, but the wars the
Brazilian government has partaken in. Hernandes is calling attention to her
belief that wars are unnecessary and do not solve anything, only leaving
devastation and heartbreak in their path.
“Rat Seminar” by
Lygia Fagundes uses similar tactics as Hernandes’s short story. On the
surface, it seems like a silly
children’s story, but if we look for a deeper meaning, we see Fagundes is also
criticising the Brazilian government. For example, when the chief tells the
secretary about how many of the citizens are angry with them because they are
having the seminar in a remote place and want for them “to be in the central areas,
amongst the problems,” it is a direct attack on the Brazilian government. It is
addressing the long-standing idea that the Brazilian government tends to only
help the wealthy and leaves the people in poverty to fend for themselves.
Brazil’s Fate
In class we talked
a lot about the upcoming 2014 Fifa World Cup that will be taking place in
Brazil. Someone mentioned how they had read an article about how thousands of
people in the city are being pushed out to make room for the games (Class
Discussion on 5/7). Instead of working on providing for their citizens, the
Brazilian government is forcing its own people out of their homes so they can
make a profit. It is all very heartbreaking because it only further illustrates
the need for the Brazilian government to help its people, all people, not simply the wealthy. Robert and Rahsaan’s author,
Betty Silberstein, reiterated the sentiment that she is afraid for the fate of
Brazil due to the 2014 Fifa World Cup. When we brought up the subject of
politics to Christina, she said, “unfortunately we have politicians who do not
deserve to be mentioned.” No country is completely happy with their government,
but from class discussions, thoughts from Prof. Gândara, and the quotes from
our author, we understand the necessity for the the Brazilian government to
begin to have growth and ongoing change.
Prostitution
Problems
Poverty is not the
only concerning aspect of the 2014 Fifa World Cup, but prostitution as well. In
class, we read numerous personal accounts and interviews of actual prostitutes.
The personal accounts demonstrate to us that women become prostitutes for
numerous reasons, and while not all of them hate their profession, most do it
because they have no other option. In one account, a woman exclaimed “You know
what causes prostitution here in Brazil? It’s society, because the salary you
earn is not enough!” (Class Discussion on
4/9). In this course, we have learned that many prostitutes are actively
trying to learn English in preparation for the expected influx of clients
resulting from the upcoming games. As a result, there is a lot of controversy
surrounding the estimated amount of prostitution appearing on the streets of
Brazil. Close to 600,000 foreign visitors are expected to visit Brazil for the
games and the age of consent in Brazil is only 14 years-old (Class Discussion
on 4/9). Those facts alone are incredibly alarming and only exemplify the need
for the government to implement stricter rules to protect prostitutes and
children.
When we asked
Christina about her views on prostitution, she was very reluctant to explicitly
state her thoughts on the matter. She said prostitution is a social problem,
but “we cannot forbid something that has been occurring since the beginning of
mankind” (Hernandes). A factor contributing to Christina’s lack of willingness
to talk about an ugly subject like prostitution is that she is children’s writer.
She’s an expert at turning uncomfortable subjects into pretty words and happy
stories, something that can be both helpful and a hindrance.
The Power of Words
As previously
stated, Christina enjoys writing about and discussing happy ideas and subjects.
It is evident from her emails and stories she wants to leave her readers,
predominantly children and parents, with a positive message about life. In “The
Battle Has Ended,” a little boy’s best friend dies, but instead of making the audience feel sad, the story leaves
us feeling sentimental and reflective. The combination of instilling the belief
there is life after death and the last sentence, “he will always be my friend,
no matter where we are,” (Hernandes) completely changes the tone of the story.
It is the power of a few words put together. Christina has a gift with words
and it is her talent that makes her stories so memorable and successful.
Christina summed up Brazil’s issue of prostitution by saying that it is “far
more pleasant to talk about beautiful things, but that's life, it is not only
made of roses, but of thorns” (Hernandes). It is such a simple sentiment, but
holds so much truth. It is a beautiful statement, and it does a wonderful job
of providing an answer, but not fully answering our question. All writers have
a unique way of looking at the world. Some see the world in its rawest form,
while other choose to see it an optimistic light. This is one of the many
reasons why she is so successful in writing children’s books.
Spiritism &
Umbanda: The Not-So Distant Connection
One
of the most interesting things about Christina was her spirituality, as it was
different from many of the other female writers we had learned about through
this project. Christina was raised in the Catholic religion, but now practices
spiritualism. In one of her many emails, she told us she follows The Gospel According to Spiritism by
Allan Kardec, which believes Spiritism is based on the highest and truest form
of Christian morality. When we brought this up in class, Prof. Gândara told us
that this was a branch of Umbanda, which is similar to (but has a separate
identity from) Candomblé,
which we have talked about extensively in class, including when we were
discussing Poncia Vicencio (Class
Discussion[s] on 4/23, 4/25). Upon further research, we found that Umbanda is a
blend of African religions with Catholicism, Spiritism, and even some
Indigenous lore. It dates back to the 1600s, and flourished in Rio de Janeiro
and Sao Paulo before spreading across southern Brazil, which is where
Christina is from. The three major beliefs claimed by Umbandists are The
Pantheon, the Spirits' World and the Reincarnation. The Pantheon features a
supreme being known as Olorum,
who is related to the Catholic God, and features many divine intermediary
deities called Orixás. The Spirits’ World features three distinct levels
of spirits: Pure Spirits (spirits
that reached spiritual perfection), Good Spirits (spirits that possess mediums or
initiates during the public ceremonies and act as Guias or guides to believers),
and Darker Spirits (obsessing spirits). Finally, there is the Law of
Reincarnation, which states that
God creates spirits with Self Will all the time (Macumba, Umbanda, and
Orishas in Brazil).
In Poncia Vicencio,
we discussed how Candomblé was presented in the novel,
mostly discussing when Poncia goes into the church and sees all the saints, as
well as the village woman representing the figurehead for Candomblé (Class Discussion on 4/23). We
also discussed the importance of Oxumaré, a rainbow-serpent present in Candomblé who is half female and half male, representing
infinite knowledge (Class Discussion on 4/25). When discussing possession, such
as the type found in Umbanda when encountering a Good Spirit, Oxumaré is
often avoided in the Candomblé
tradition, mostly due to its controversial alignment with equality (due to its
rainbow appearance) and the fact it is half man, half woman, therefore allowing
possible connections to homosexuality (Class Discussion on 4/25). While we do
not think Christina herself would have any trouble with the idea of Oxumaré –
even though she does not practice Candomblé – it was just interesting to find out the general
religious public’s reaction to a spirit such as Oxumaré, especially in modern times, where sexual
orientations other than heterosexuality seem to be becoming more and more
visible worldwide.
At the end of the
day, what do women truly want?
Much
like the topic of Oxumaré
and its connection to homosexuality in the eyes of the religious public, Christina,
in her emails, never wanted to outright offend either one of us, and often
tried to skirt around the answer, which is what most people do when trying to
take into consideration other people’s feelings. The topic of feminism is a
perfect example of this. Both of us are either majoring or minoring in women’s
studies, and in relation to that, we are proud feminists. Understandably, we
know feminism often has a negative connotation for many people. Most people
tend to think of feminists as hairy, constantly angry man-haters who protest
anything at the drop of a hat. We understand the term to simply mean social,
political, and economic equality for men and women. We want women to be paid
the same as a man for the same work. We believe a man should be able to be the
stay-at-home dad without being judged. We want female bosses to be treated the
same as male bosses, and not simply seen as “bitches” for having the same attitude
as a man. Lastly, we want a woman who is sexually assaulted or raped to not to
be asked by peers, doctors, and officers “what were you wearing that caused
this?” To us, these are but a few components of feminism.
When
we asked Christina if she was a feminist, she replied that she was not a
feminist, but is not critical of those who were. She also added that although
she is not a feminist, she is for gay rights. Her simple reply demonstrates her
tendency for political correctness with every answer. She did add to her
comment that men and women should strive to be partners, not opponents.
Initially, we thought she was describing essentially what feminism is, the idea
men and women should work together to better our world, but not really aknowledging
it, similar to Sonia and her article in “Women’s Work” (Daphne Patai) (Class
Discussion on 4/9). We understand every culture has its values and beliefs, but
the heart of the matter is that nothing excuses a man for mistreating a woman
or vice versa. If a person physically or emotionally hurts another person,
there should be ramifications, but as it stands now, the harshest punishment
for a man physically hurting a woman is a few months to 3 years in jail. Brazil
may have a woman president, but until Brazilian men and women start to believe they should be treated equal, nothing is
going to change.
Time and Time
Again
While Christina is
not a feminist, her writing does have characteristics of feminism. In class, we
talked a lot about masculine time versus feminine time. Throughout history,
time has been male- dominated (Class discussion on 3/5) and Forman, author of Taking our Time: Feminist Perspectives on Temporality, argues women’s lack of time should
be a political issue. A characteristic of feminine time is that it never ends;
it comes full circle. This sentiment is demonstrated in Christina’s short
story, “The Battle Has Ended.” The message Christina conveys throughout this
story is that we are never truly gone. We live on in the memory of our friends
and family. Nothing is truly over; there is life after death, which means there
is no end. This idea is feminine time. We do not even think Christina is aware
she has implemented a feminist characteristic into her story, but it shows how
there are women who are feminists, or even have feminist ideals, and do not
even realize it.
Although Christina’s whole message centers on feminizing
time, there is a moment when the story becomes masculine. When the little boy
is grieving for his friend, his mother tells him, “you know son, our
mission here on Earth has a beginning, middle and an end. When our designated
time on this existence ends, it is time to go back” (Hernandes). The advice his
mother gives him is essentially masculine time. Masculine time eventually ends and
this is what his mother is warning him about. It is so interesting, the
conflict between masculine and feminine time in Christina’s story, because it
is arguably an accurate depiction of reality. There is always going to be a
conflict between the two times and every day we, as both readers and people,
have to make the decision to choose which one we are going to live by.
What have we
learned from all of this?
Although
neither one of us has ever set foot in Brazil, we feel like we have a pretty
accurate picture of Brazil and everything it encompasses. Before taking this
class, neither one of us knew anything about Brazil. We did not even know the
language people from Brazil spoke (probably thinking it was only Spanish -- oh
how we have learned since then!). Concepts like feminizing time and the racial
stereotypes in Brazil were foreign to us; if someone would have asked us what
those terms meant before this class, we would have just stared at them,
speechless. We would have never have read novels like Hour of the Star, Island of the Dead, or Ponica Vicencio or seen the movies Luzia or Xica de Siliva.
Every text we read, every movie we watched, and every class discussion we had
contributed to our knowledge about the Brazilian culture. Emailing Christina has
been a great experience because it allowed us to apply what we learned in
classroom. We learned so much from her and appreciate all of the information
she was able to provide us. After taking this class, we can confidently say we
have fully immersed ourselves into a culture without ever even being there,
something which we are eternally grateful to have experienced.
Works Cited
"Brazil: Government and
History." Scholastic Publishes
Literacy Resources and Children's Books
for
Kids of All Ages. Web. 10 May 2014.
Forman, Frieda J. Taking Our Time: Feminist Perspectives on
Temporality. 1989. Print.
Hernandes,
Christina. The Battle Has Ended. Print.
"Macumba, Umbanda, and Orishas
in Brazil." Stirling Law. Web.
09 May 2014.
Telles, Lygia. Rat Seminar. 1977. Print.
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