Relendo o Álbum de Maria Firmina dos Reis

Abstract

This thesis focused on the Álbum, a collection of records attributed to the Brazilian writer Maria Firmina dos Reis (1825-1917). This is a unique work, although somewhat problematic. The records contained there were written between 1853 and 1910. Sometimes referred to as an album, sometimes as an intimate book, the writer recorded a variety of subjects in it (e.g., house moves, adoption of orphans, dates of birth or death of relatives and friends). But he also made another type of note. Contrary to the opinion of other scholars of Firmina’s work, notably Morais Filho (1975) and Luiza Lobo (1993 and 2007), who identified traces of morbidity and melancholy in the author’s handwriting, we support here the idea that the Álbum contains records (or fragments of records) that might be more appropriately labeled as short literary essays by a romantic or even ultra-romantic author. We also support the idea that the volume may have been used by the author as an obituary of affections, a place where Firmina recorded losses and pain, and a way of immortalizing the memory of relatives and friends she loved.