Identity, Memory, and Education: An Analysis of the Novels “Torto Arado” and “O Avesso da Pele” through the Lens of Critical Pedagogy

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Autori/ Authors: Kristina Chalupná Jínová

In: Studia Scientifica Facultatis Paedagogicae Universitas Catholica Ružomberok

ISSN: 1336-2232

Ročník/ Volume: XXV.

Číslo/ Issue: 3

Strany/ Page Range: 86-96

Rok vydania/ Publication Year: 2026

Jazyk/ Language: Czech

Vydavateľ/ Publisher: VERBUM – vydavateľstvo Katolíckej univerzity v Ružomberku

Abstrakt/ Abstract: This study analyzes the role of contemporary Afro-Brazilian prose in school education, focusing on the novels “Torto Arado” (“Crooked Plow”) by Itamar Vieira Junior and “O Avesso da Pele” (“The Dark Side of Skin”) by Jeferson Tenório. Drawing on Stuart Hall’s concept of representation, Frantz Fanon’s analysis of colonial psychopathology, and Lélia Gonzalez’s notion of amefricanidade, the article argues that these works serve not merely as aesthetic objects but as active agents in the construction of cultural identity and historical memory. The text examines the novels within the context of Brazilian Law 10.639/03 and recent censorship attempts, demonstrating how they function as counter-narratives that challenge the myth of racial democracy. While “Torto Arado” reconstructs identity through the relationship with land and ancestry, “O Avesso da Pele” addresses urban structural racism and police violence. The study concludes that while the inclusion of these novels in the curriculum represents a step toward epistemic justice, their transformative potential is conditional upon critical pedagogical mediation rooted in Paulo Freire’s philosophy of education.

Kľúčové slová/ Keywords: Afro-Brazilian literature. Torto Arado. O Avesso da Pele. Critical pedagogy. Identity. Education.

Citácia/ How to cite:

CHALUPNÁ JÍNOVÁ, Kristina, 2026. Identita, paměť a vzdělávání: Analýza románů „Torto Arado“ a „O Avesso da Pele“ optikou kritické pedagogiky. Studia Scientifica Facultatis Paedagogicae Universitas Catholica Ružomberok. Online. Roč. XXV., č. 3, s. 86-96. ISSN 1336-2232. Dostupné na: https/doi.org.

Toto dielo je publikované pod/ This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.