PORT 330 Carnival and Samba in Brazilian Literature and Film
In Brazilian society, Carnival and Samba are unique cultural phenomena and have become symbols of national identity. They have not, however, been without controversy. Samba, once an outlawed musical form, rose meteorically to national prominence in the 1930s through unprecedented circumstances and the union of uncommon bedfellows. This musical form provides the background for the yearly Carnival celebration. Many scholars, however, have criticized Carnival as a mechanism of social control: one week of jubilation and a temporary inversion of the traditional social order justify a year's worth of poverty and misery. Likewise the treatment of Carnival as a metaphor in literature throughout the 20th century has gone from subtle to overt criticism as Brazil experienced two dictatorships and increased disillusionment over the direction of the nation. This course will be taught in English.