Birth of Brazil: Utopianism in Europe and Brazilian Informative Literature of Sixteenth Century

브라질의 '탄생': 16세기 유럽과 브라질 보고문학에 나타난 이상향

This paper deals with the study of how the 'birth' of Brazil happened and how the European utopianism was represented in Brazilian Informative Literature of the sixteenth century, that is, the first literary manifestations of Brazil. There were at that time the Renaissance humanism and the scientific development that encouraged dozens of illustrious navigators for new discoveries ultra-seas, like Christopher Columbus who discovered America. Writings such as Letter to King Manuel of Pero Vaz de Caminha, had mostly an intention to inform Europeans about climates, indians and possibility to discover gold or silver. Main narrative characteristics were uncertainty and exageration, which ironically helped to attract more discoveries and explorations in the New World. Americo Vespucio's Mundus Novus inspired Thomas More to write Utopia, in which the author described through a Portuguese sailor the ideal but unrealizable society. Utopianism regarding the imaginary island of 'Brazi', well known among Europeans since long ago, may have influenced the current name of the country: 'Brazil'. On the other hand, utopianism shown in Brazilian Informative Literature worked as a justification for Europeans to explore and colonize the New World.