''Jubiabá'' () is a Brazilian

modernist Modernism was an early 20th-century movement in literature, visual arts, and music that emphasized experimentation, abstraction, and Subjectivity and objectivity (philosophy), subjective experience. Philosophy, politics, architecture, and soc ...

novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...

written by

Jorge Amado Jorge Amado ( 10 August 1912 – 6 August 2001) was a Brazilian writer of the modernist school. He remains the best-known of modern Brazilian writers, with his work having been translated into some 49 languages and popularized in film, includi ...

in 1935. It earned Amado an international reputation, being hailed by

Albert Camus Albert Camus ( ; ; 7 November 1913 – 4 January 1960) was a French philosopher, author, dramatist, journalist, world federalist, and political activist. He was the recipient of the 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature at the age of 44, the s ...

as “a magnificent and haunting” book. Begun in 1934 in Conceição da Feira in

Bahia Bahia () is one of the 26 Federative units of Brazil, states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo (state), São Paulo, Mina ...

, when Jorge Amado was 22, ''Jubiabá'' was completed in

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

the following year. Some of the characters of his later works make their first appearance here, such as the sailors Guma and Master Manuel, from '' Sea of Death'', while '' Tent of Miracles'' published in 1969, reworked various themes from ''Jubiabá''.

Plot

The novel tells the story of the friendship between a poor black youngster from

Salvador de Bahia Salvador () is a Municipalities of Brazil, Brazilian municipality and capital city of the Federative units of Brazil, state of Bahia. Situated in the Zona da Mata in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region of Brazil, Salvador is recognize ...

, Antonio Balduino, and a

candomblé Candomblé () is an African diaspora religions, African diasporic religion that developed in Brazil during the 19th century. It arose through a process of syncretism between several of the traditional religions of West and Central Africa, especi ...

priest - Pai de Santo -, Jubiabá. After the death of his insane aunt when he was a boy, Balduino is sent to work in a rich white family. However, he has to escape when he is unjustly accused of violence towards Lindinalva, the beautiful daughter of his hosts. Balduino thenceforth spends the rest of his youth in freedom as a member of a gang of street kids, which anticipates Amado's later novel

Captains of the Sands ''Captains of the Sands'' () is a Brazilian novel written by Jorge Amado in 1937. The novel tells of a gang of street children. Their ages range from seven to sixteen and they live by begging, gambling, stealing and burglary in the streets of S ...

. Subsequently, he becomes a successful

boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: *Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing * Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...

but, depressed after his first defeat, he leaves Salvador and starts to work on a

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

plantation, only to be forced to flee again when he almost murders a fellow worker. On his return to Salvador, he surprisingly meets Lindinalva, who, following the bankruptcy of her father, is now a prostitute. On her death bed she entrusts her son to him. Balduino is then employed as a port worker. His involvement in a general strike causes conflict with his old friend Jubiabá, who he considers insufficiently supportive of the strike.

Themes

''Jubiabá'' examines the African-Brazilian culture of the state of

, with much emphasis on candomblé and macumba. It continues the theme of development of political consciousness among the working class from Amado's earlier novels ''

Cacau Claudemir Jerônimo Barreto (born 27 March 1981), known as Cacau (, ;), is a former professional footballer who played as a striker. Born in Brazil, he represented Germany at international level. Cacau received German citizenship in February ...

'' and ''

Sweat Perspiration, also known as sweat, is the fluid secreted by sweat glands in the skin of mammals. Two types of sweat glands can be found in humans: eccrine glands and Apocrine sweat gland, apocrine glands. The eccrine sweat glands are distribu ...

''. As with these, however, the political tension tends to be diluted by the sentimental way in which the poor are described.

Legacy

''Jubiabá'' was the basis for the 1986 motion picture of the same name, '' Jubiabá'', written and directed by

Nelson Pereira dos Santos Nelson Pereira dos Santos (22 October 1928 21 April 2018) was a Brazilian film director. He directed films such as ''Vidas secas (film), Vidas Secas'' (Barren Lives, 1963), based on the Vidas Secas, book with the same name by Brazilian writer G ...

. In addition to the film, it was made into a radio soap opera in the 1940s, and there were various theatre adaptations in the 1960s and 1970s. The story also appeared in comic book format.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jubiaba 1935 Brazilian novels Novels by Jorge Amado Portuguese-language novels Novels set in Salvador, Bahia Novels about boxing