Maria Firmina dos Reis
Maria Firmina dos Reis
Maria Firmina dos Reis (1825-1917) is considered to be a pioneering Afro-Brazilian writer. Reis published poetry and short fiction in the local press of the northeastern state of Maranhão. Her most important work, the novel Ursula focuses on slavery and includes the points of view of the enslaved. The novel was originally published in 1859 with the author only listed as Uma Maranhense (a women from Maranhão). Reis was not identified as the author of Ursula until the novel’s reprint in 1975.
Translated Titles by Maria Firmina dos Reis
Written within the literary conventions of the Romantic movement and published decades before other Brazilian abolitionist novels, Ursula (1859) offers a sensitive and nuanced portrayal of enslaved African and Afro-Brazilian characters. While readers follow the story of the plantation owner's daughter Ursula, her doomed romance with Tancredo, and her uncle's diabolical schemes to entrap her in marriage, the novel's power lies in Reis's characterization of the enslaved Africans Tulio, Susana, and Antero. Shown in all their humanity as they narrate their personal histories and give voice to the abuse and injustices they have endured, these characters tell of the horrors of the Middle Passage, the daily indignities they face, and the brutality of their masters.