Carolina Maria de Jesus and liminal thinking in Brazilian literature

Abstract

This paper portrays the life and work of Carolina Maria de Jesus, from her published writings. The purpose of it is to question the consequences of the (de)coloniality in the construction of the relation between gender and race in the Brazilian society, based on her books. The study is supported by (de)coloniality, in dialogue with critical pedagogy and feminism. The analysis reinforces how the written word contributed to the depth of Carolina's perceptions about the different spaces; by saying her word, she also learned how to think about her existence, she learned from her own history in a continuous remake of the written act. Therefore, it highlights her engaged writing, her potential of denouncement and announcement, her contribution to intersectional feminism, and, lastly, the inseparable relationship between feminism and (de)coloniality.