O Cortiço
O Cortiço (titled in English: The Slum) is an influential Brazilian novel written in 1890 by Aluísio Azevedo. The novel depicts a part of Brazil's culture in the late Nineteenth century, represented by a variety of colorful characters living in a single Rio de Janeiro tenement. It is written with the intention of belonging to the Realism movement leaning towards Naturalism, much like Flaubert's Madame Bovary.
| Author | Aluísio Azevedo |
|---|---|
| Country | Brazil |
| Language | Portuguese |
| Genre | Naturalism |
Azevedo's The Slum tells the stories of Portuguese and other European immigrants, mulattos, and former African slaves living and working together in a single community. It explores the author's intensely naturalistic beliefs, having various characters being defined and changed by their environment, race and social position.
Examples are: the division between the lackadaisical, yet passionate, mulattos and the hard-working, driven Portuguese immigrants, how the climate and culture of Brazil can slowly transform these immigrants' behavior in atavistic ways. In addition the role of women is a key theme, with all female characters in one way or another revealing their purpose in the slum.
In 2013 the book became a Musical on Brazilian Broadway starring Gabriel Boni Rodrigues and Rafael Morelli. Today the play is with Daniel Tupauan and Christian Coronel.