A filha do conselheiro: cientificismo, licenciosidade e promoção publicitária em O homem, de Aluísio Azevedo

Abstract

The notoriety of Aluisio Azevedo (1857-1913) in Brazilian intellectual circles came from the publication of O mulato (1881) and Casa de pensão (1884), and his achievement as the greatest name of naturalism on national level, with O cortiço (1890). Nevertheless, the literary triumph was due, in part, to his forgotten work (O homem,1887) by historiography due to its licentious aspect, fundamental in this process, and appropriate as pornographic writing by common readers in the period of its launching. The work was a best seller, guaranteeing the writer to sign his first contracts with L.B. Garnier, the publishing house that published Machado de Assis and it was one of the most important works of the period. The success of O homem was the result of a bold publicity campaign performed by the author himself and his influential social press network. With an immediate focus on sales, they publicized the book in an ambiguous way, highlighting at the same time scientism and licentiousness. However, as far as the common reader and the critics were concerned the obscenity instead of the pathology is what stood out. Therefore, Rio de Janeiro was shocked by reading the protagonist s erotic dreams, described to address the theme of female hysteria. Because of O homem, Aluísio Azevedo was attacked by detractors from the naturalist school, who accused him of writing "pornography" disguised as science. This fact further increased the controversy and interest in the work, influencing the market and bringing out a fourth edition of the book in less than a year after its first publication. It was a feat for the time, because we know that the national literary field was struggling against the lack of encouragement and recognition of publishers, booksellers and theater directors. It was a difficult task to conquer the Brazilian readers instead of famous European titles that circulated at the time. For this reason, Aluisio and his group seeking to earn the public recognition as well as to consolidate space in the Brazilian literary field, they had invested heavily in the book s publicity. This research aims to tell the controversial emergence of O homem, a work that contributed to the process of the rise of Aluisio's career as a great naturalist writer. Therefore, this study consulted primary sources, as well as conducted interdisciplinary readings related to the topics addressed