Ceará Women and The Way of Making Literature [Sector Rare Books]

The exhibition brings together works by Ceará's female authors from the 19th and 20th centuries, allowing the recognition of their strengths and characteristics through literature

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Spine from Ana Facó's Rapto Jocoso: Romance Popular Histórico (1937) by Ana FacóBiblioteca Pública Estadual do Ceará

Ceará Women and the Way of Making Literature

The process of women's intellectual emancipation in Brazil has always been linked to the history of the printed word, when political voices began to present themselves through articles.

Front matter A Rainha do Ignoto, by Emilia Freitas (details) (1899) by Emília de FreitasBiblioteca Pública Estadual do Ceará

In Ceará, the first space conquered were the newspapers, as women writers and poets, and, between the 19th and 20th centuries, with a rather shy presence in the literary market, reflected in the reduced number of titles produced and signed by women over time.

Spine A Rainha do Ignoto, by Emilia Freitas (1899) by Emília de FreitasBiblioteca Pública Estadual do Ceará

Emília de Freitas

Born in 1855 in Aracati - CE and died in Manaus - AM in 1908. She was a poet, novelist, feminist and abolitionist. She is considered a pioneer of women's literature in Ceará and of fantastic literature in Brazil. 

She was part of the Society of the Ceará Liberating Women (Sociedade das Cearenses Libertadoras) and had active participation in the abolition movement in Ceará. 

Title page from Emília Freitas' A Rainha do Ignoto (1899) by Emília de FreitasBiblioteca Pública Estadual do Ceará

A Rainha do Ignoto 

Novel published in 1899. It deals with the story of a confraternity of women, led by Funesta, considered as witch, goddess, fairy to the people who inhabit the city.

She creates a secret society on Fog Island together with other women to fight inequality and injustice in a patriarchal society.

The young doctor Dr. Edmund becomes curious and discovers the mysteries of the secret society on the island and the enchanted woman.


Emília de Freitas mixes in her novel aspects of the Gothic novel, naturalism, folklore, legends, and the judeo-christian universe.

Dedication page to Serafina Pontes and Alba Valdez from Francisca Clotilde's A Divorciada (1902) by Francisca ClotildeBiblioteca Pública Estadual do Ceará

Francisca Clotilde 

Teacher and writer who borned in October 19th, 1982, at the São Lourenço farm, in Tauá. Died in Aracati in 1932.  Francisca Clotilde had a prolific production  in literature, starting with a book of short stories - consisting of 42 short stories.  

She had an outstanding presence in the educational area as a teacher at the Escola Normal, being the first woman to teach; as a director of primary education and later as founder of a mixed school, the Externato Santa Clotilde. Actively participated  in several periodicals, among them “A Quinzena”, which was part of the Literary Club (Clube Literário). In 1906, she founded, together with her daughter, Antonieta Clotilde, the magazine “A Estrella”.

Title page from Francisca Clotilde's A Divorciada (1902) by Francisca ClotildeBiblioteca Pública Estadual do Ceará

A Divorciada 

Published in 1902 the novel A Divorciada, whose theme caused a stir in the society of the time. The narrative is composed of thirty seven chapters that revolve around Nazaré’s marriage to her cousin Artur Pedrosa, a man addicted to gambling and drinking.

His terrible character is aggravated when he steals and then decides to run away with Gloria, Nazaré’s cousin. Therefore, the idea of divorce arises at the urging of her father, Coronel Pedrosa, however, the protagonist has problems accepting it due to her christian values.


The work A Divorciada raises important discussions about a woman’s role, the family space, the christian values, and female stereotypes, bringing to light the power of the patriarchy. 

Spine from Ana Facó's Rapto Jocoso: Romance Popular Histórico (1937) by Ana FacóBiblioteca Pública Estadual do Ceará

Ana Facó 

Teacher and writer, born on april 24th, 1985, in Beberibe - Ceará, and died in 1922. She cultivated different literary genres. 

Ex libris from Ana Facó's Comédias e Cançonetas (1937) by Ana FacóBiblioteca Pública Estadual do Ceará

Comédias e Cançonetas 

Published in 1937, by Livraria Humberto, the book is a collection of theatrical theatrical productions with an educational bias.

Ex-Libris 

The copy present in the library collection has the Ex-Libris of the Biblioteca Feminina Brasileira, offered by the writer and literary critic Adalzira Bittencourt (1904 - 1976), present on the back of the title page of the publication.

Page 8 from Ana Facó's Nuvens (1938) by Ana FacóBiblioteca Pública Estadual do Ceará

Nuvens

Novel of mores published in 1938, also written under the pseudonym Nitio-Abá and in the form of pamphlets, with love as its theme.

The narrative tells the love story between two cousins, Ednir and Odar, whose setting is the city of Fortaleza at the end of the 19th century.

Title page from Ana Facó's Rapto Jocoso: Romance Popular Histórico (1937) by Ana FacóBiblioteca Pública Estadual do Ceará

Rapto Jocoso

Ana Facó used the pseudonym of Nitio-Abá, which in Tupi-Guarani language means “nobody”, to write Rapto Jocoso, novel brought to the public through pamphlets in the newspaper named Jornal do Ceará from 1906-1907 and then published posthumously in 1937, containing 25 chapters.

The narrative was built in a linear form and deals with a traditional family from the interior of the state, highlighting the female activities, the popular culture and the love affair of Velho Antônio with the young Dumamira, who loved her cousin Reinaldo, but due to social and economical conveniences, accepted to marry Antônio.

The time of the narrative takes place in the second half of the 19th century. 

Credits: Story

Promoção
Secretaria da Cultura do Estado do Ceará 
Secretário: Fabiano Piúba

Realização
Biblioteca Pública Estadual do Ceará 
Diretora: Enide Vidal
Superintendente: Suzete Nunes

Gestão
Instituto Dragão do Mar 
Diretora-presidenta: Rachel Gadelha
Diretor de Articulação: Lenildo Gomes
Gerente de Articulação Institucional: Benjamim Lucas

Coordenação de Acervo, Pesquisa e Conhecimento
Coordenador: Rodrigo Alves 
Assistente: Priscila Damasceno
Bibliotecário: Lucas Corrêa 
Estagiária: Madalena Herminio 
Pesquisador: Lucas Rodrigues

Setor Obras Raras
Bibliotecários (as): Madalena Figueiredo; Rafael Secundino; Rejane de Sousa 
Estagiária: Ralúsia Nunes

Curadoria, Edição e Revisão
Coordenador: Prof. Dr. Rodrigo Alves
Bibliotecário: Lucas Corrêa 
Estagiária: Madalena Herminio 
Pesquisador: Lucas Rodrigues

Textos
Prof. Drª. Socorro Pinheiro [UECE]
Prof. Dr. Rodrigo Alves 

Comunicação
Ivy Ariane 
Eri Filho
Uli Batista

Fotos
Gandhi Guimarães

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.