Lima Barreto, Elitism, and the Emergence of Mass Society in Brazil (1900s–1920s)

Felipe Botelho Correa

Abstract

This article focuses on the strategies used by Lima Barreto for catering to the emerging mass readerships in Brazil in the first decades of the twentieth century. While many writers and intellectuals reacted against the incorporation of literature into mass society, others embraced the opportunity to reach out to an unprecedented number of readers in Brazil through popular illustrated magazines. The article will provide the context and give some examples of how Lima Barreto engaged with these periodicals (particularly with Careta) and how he positioned himself against the elitist tendency in literature in Brazil and beyond.

Resumo

Abstract

This article focuses on the strategies used by Lima Barreto for catering to the emerging mass readerships in Brazil in the first decades of the twentieth century. While many writers and intellectuals reacted against the incorporation of literature into mass society, others embraced the opportunity to reach out to an unprecedented number of readers in Brazil through popular illustrated magazines. The article will provide the context and give some examples of how Lima Barreto engaged with these periodicals (particularly with Careta) and how he positioned himself against the elitist tendency in literature in Brazil and beyond.

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