Imagens da maternidade negra em Quarto de Despejo: diário de uma favelada de Carolina Maria de Jesus

Abstract

This work aims to discuss images of black motherhood and its nuances through an analysis of the book “Quarto de Despejo: Diário de uma Favelada” (The Room of Disposal: Diary of a Slum Dweller), by writer Carolina Maria de Jesus, published in 1960. It sought to understand the images of black motherhood and the difficulties that surround it, considering the experience of a single mother living in the Canindé slum. In addition, we analyzed how “escrevivência” (writing-living), a theoretical concept developed by author Conceição Evaristo, relates to Carolina Maria de Jesus' narrative and the collective experience of black women. The bibliographic analysis of the work allowed us to highlight the complexities of black motherhood, its contradictions, and challenges amid precariousness and the struggle for life. To this end, references to black feminism were used, based on Lélia Gonzales, to discuss the role of black women in Brazilian society and the concept of the “black mother,” discussing the stereotypes imposed on black women during slavery, Conceição Evaristo with the concept of escrevivência, to reflect on the aesthetic project of black women, and Carolina Costa Ferreira (2020), Eliane Perreira (2022), and Edilene de Cássia (2022), who discuss the challenges that permeate black motherhood.