Sexualities in transit: queer dislocations and space conflicts in "Todos nós adorávamos caubóis", by Carol Bensimon

Abstract

This paper deals with the journey as a sexuality construction space in the novel Todos nós adorávamos caubóis (2013), by Carol Bensimon, discussing the dislocation as a possibility of (self) acknowledgement, the conflicts between southern Brazil land and the ex-centric sexualities, as well as the articulation of gender roles in the characters’ attitudes. The analysis of this literary work is justified by narrating lesbian/bissexual women as protagonists in places of sexist cultural predominance, based on Brazilian contemporary literature studies and on the queer theory, based mainly on theorists such as Regina Dalcastagnè (2012; 2015), Judith Butler (2019) and Guacira Lopes Louro (2014; 2018). It is understood that the journey is important for the understanding of the characters, rather than visible aspects not previously perceived, in relation to both their sexualities and other social relationships. It is concluded that the spaces, even when in conflict, act as necessary for the identity construction of the characters, and they also become definitive for a possible mutation in the environment. Furthermore, it is noticed that, even though incorporating the gender standards as identity guides, the characters queerize the crossed places, surpassing borders and putting themselves constantly in transit.