Construction and reconstruction

the paths of dialectics in Brazilian literary criticism based on the critical disagreements between Roberto Schwarz and Antonio Candido

Abstract

This work aims at questioning the paths taken by dialectical literary criticism in Brazil, mapping its internal diversity and contradictions. To this end, contributions of two of the most significant Brazilian literary critic, Antonio Candido and Roberto Schwarz, specifically examining the direct dialogue between their articles “Dialectic of Malandragem” and “Assumptions, Perhaps, of “Dialectic of Malandragem.’” When viewed put into perspective, these texts seem to reveal internal differences within this critical tradition, suggesting its creative and renewing force. Thus, the divergences between Candido and Schwarz, which go beyond methodological consonance, will be seen as fruitful problems, interpreted as advancements in the literary criticism field. The motivations behind these critical divergences will also guide the analysis, which will seek to understand them in light of the sociological debates in Brazil throughout the 20th century.