Memories Constituting Black Female Subjectivity in Olhos d’água by Conceição Evaristo

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze the role of memory in the narrative construction of Black women whose life trajectories are marked by reminiscences of the past. In this perspective, the study focuses on three short stories: “Olhos d’água”, “Duzu-Querença”, and “Ayoluwa, a alegria do nosso povo”, from the collection Olhos d’água (2016) by Conceição Evaristo. It is understood, from the analysis of the women presented by these narratives, that they feature female characters constructed with an emphasis on their  ancestral heritage. This approach highlights the significant discussion around the constitution of marginalized subjects, marked by lives permeated with pain, violence, and poverty. Evaristo brings to light the marks and consequences left in multiple forms within their complex histories. This study demonstrates that these narratives reflect subjects who manifest from their historical roots, from a past of suffered exclusions, extending into the present and paving the way for the future. For this analysis, the reflections will be based on insights from prominent theorists such as Michael Pollak (1989), Maurice Halbwachs (1990), and Paul Ricoeur (2007), who discuss memory as a means of constructing individual and collective identities.