The meanings of the hinterland: place and space in the fiction by João Guimarães Rosa and Maria Valéria Rezende

Abstract

This article aims to conduct a comparative analysis of the novels The Devil to Pay in the Backlands by João Guimarães Rosa and Outros cantos by Maria Valéria Rezende, with a specific focus on the representation of regional space. Initially, the text delves into the connection of both works to literary regionalism and explores the perspectives of the authors on this theme. This exploration is undertaken through an analysis of the viewpoints articulated by Guimarães Rosa, as revealed in an interview with Günter Lorenz, and Valéria Rezende, as expressed in an interview with Revista Crioula. Subsequently, the article examines how, in both novels, the backlands assume a structuring function that profoundly influences the subjectivity of the characters, shaping and being shaped by their perceptions. The argument put forth is that, in this process, the hinterland transcends its physicality to become a practiced space, echoing Michel de Certeau, or a landscape, in line with Michel Collot’s conceptualization. The ultimate conclusion drawn is that these two works derive their strength from their engagement with the seminal space of Brazilian literature, the “sertão,” thereby contributing to the revitalization of the regionalist tradition in the contemporary context.