Pedagogy in literary 'postcards': João do Rio in São Paulo (1905-1915)

Abstract

This thesis focuses on the work of the Brazilian writer João do Rio (1881-1921) in São Paulo. Archival research has revealed that, between June 1905 and October 1915, the writer published 178 texts in the Correio Paulistano newspaper. His work in São Paulo coincides with a crucial moment of the writer’s career and comprises a textual miscellany that covers different genres: crônicas, folhetim (feuilleton), theater, conferências (conferences), and science-fiction, many of which were used for the first time by Do Rio in his career. Striking in those texts is the comparison – not always explicit – between Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, especially in regard to the model of modernization adopted by those urban centers. In a broader sense, surpassing city limits and going beyond what we know about his relationship with Rio, this thesis offers an alternative path of analysis, questioning the pedagogical character of Do Rio’s work in that context and the importance of his work in two cities. The thesis contends that the medium of the postcard can function as an analogy for Do Rio’s texts published in São Paulo.