Family Ties | Literary Heritage & History

Family Ties Literary Heritage

Lispector is considered one of the leading Latin American writers of the twentieth century. The literary heritage of her fiction can be understood in the historical context of Latin-American literature, and more specifically Brazilian literature. Before conquest and colonization by European forces, particularly Spain, the native Indian cultures of Latin America had a well-developed tradition of written and oral literature. After colonization Latin- American literature emerged from the narratives of the conquered native Indian peoples as well as the European conquerors themselves, and later from the struggles of native peoples against colonial domination, a "literature of oppression." Brazil produced the first Latin-American novel in 1844, with A moreninha ("The Little Brunette") by Joaquim Manuel de Macedo. Latin-American fiction in the latter half of the twentieth century developed a concern with experimental narrative and linguistic style as a means of expressing social concerns. Lispector herself served as a forerunner to the...
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