L’édenàlavente La presse française et le nouveauconcept d’exotisme (1874-1899)

Resumo

This article analyses the construction models of Brazil’s imaginary in the fictional writings present in the French press of the late 19th century, the image of this country that is given, by this bias, to the French and how it is used in France. The image of Brazil is the contrary of that of France, a «nature country», inhabited by savages, slaves and rastaquouères, where nature is admired for its unexploited richness,and feared for its dangerousness. To establish it, these writings use theconcept of exoticism, part of the European discourse of the New World since the 16th century. This concept is also renewed by contemporary ideologies: nationalism and colonialism. These writings validate, thereby, the imperial French enterprises, given that this country is painted as the only one capable of exploiting the «virgin» areas. And the negative image of Brazilian people promote, in opposition, that of the French.