A INSUBMISSÃO DA MULHER NEGRA DIANTE O SISTEMA PATRIARCAL E HETERONORMATIVO NO CONTO "ISALTINA CAMPO BELO", DE CONCEIÇÃO EVARISTO

Abstract

The present research analyzes the short story "Isaltina Campo Belo." The story is one of the narratives in the work Unsubmissive Tears of Women by Conceição Evaristo. To aid in the gender study, Butler (2020) is cited, who studies the gender issues caused by social influence and one of the sequels, compulsory heterosexuality. Lerner (2019), in her work, researches the historical creation of patriarchy and its consequences on women. Hall (2011) studies identity, supporting the analysis of the identity crisis of the protagonist character. hooks (2020), Gonzalez (2020), and Lorde (2011) enrich the research with studies on the struggles and challenges of Black women in social spheres and feminism. Evaristo's protagonist deals with dilemmas of gender and sexuality acceptance in her reality as a Black woman. However, Isaltina Campo Belo becomes insubmissive to social heteronormative oppression. According to Rich (1993), "compulsory heterosexuality" refers to the idea that heterosexuality is not just one of many sexual orientations but the only acceptable orientation in a patriarchal society. The author argues that various social, cultural, religious, and political institutions promote and maintain heterosexuality as the normative standard. The heroine's quest in the story to understand her existence as a lesbian woman demonstrates how the standard society silences the existence of lesbian women. The story reveals the anguish caused by the social erasure of Black women who discover themselves as lesbians. Thus, the present study investigates how the social problems surrounding the character Campo Belo interfere with her process of identity, acceptance, and self-recognition in the face of the patriarchal system, which oppresses Black women more vehemently. As a symptom of this system, the protagonist experiences compulsory heterosexuality in facing her sexuality dilemmas.