Iracema

For other uses, see Iracema (disambiguation).
Iracema, the honey lips: a legend of Brasil

Statue in honor of Iracema in Fortaleza
Author José de Alencar
Original title Iracema
Iracema - A Lenda do Ceará
Translator Lady Isabel Burton
Country Brazil
Language Portuguese
Series Alencar's indigenist novels
Genre Romance novel
Publisher B. L. Garnier
Publication date
 1865
Published in English
 1886
ISBN 978-0-85051-500-8
ISBN 978-0-85051-524-4 (English)
Preceded by O Guarany
Followed by Ubirajara

Iracema (in portuguese: Iracema - A Lenda do Ceará) is one of the three indigenous novels by José de Alencar. It was first published in 1865. The novel has been adapted into films twice in 1917 as a silent film and in 1949 as a sound film.

Plot introduction

The story revolves around the relationship between the Tabajara indigenous woman, Iracema, and the Portuguese colonist, Martim, who was allied with the Tabajara nation's enemies, the Pitiguaras.

Through the novel, Alencar tries to remake the history of the Brazilian colonial state of Ceará, with Moacir, the son of Iracema and Martim, as the first true Brazilian in Ceará. This pure Brazilian is born from the love of the natural, innocence (Iracema), culture and knowledge (Martim), and also represents the mixture (miscegenation) of the native race with the European race to produce a new (Brazilian) race.

Explanation of the novel's title

Iracema is Guarani language for honey-lips, from ira - honey, and tembe - lips. Tembe changed to ceme, as in the word ceme iba, according to the author.

"Iracema" is also an anagram of "America", appointed by critics as befitting the allegorization of colonization of America by Europeans, the novel's main theme.

Characters in Iracema

Iracema and the Indianist Novels

Iracema, along with the novels O Guarani and Ubirajara, portrays one of the stages of the formation of the Brazilian ethnic and cultural heritage. Iracema symbolizes the initial meeting between the white man (Europeans) and the natives. "Moacir" means "Son of Pain", which is related to his birth, alone with his mother who was abandoned by Martim for some time when he had to go and help the Potiguaras in a tribal war against the Tabajaras.

Awards and nominations

"Iracema", painting by Antônio Parreiras

References

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