Paper short abstract:

We propose a discussion of the 'sertanejo' based on Guimarães Rosa's 'Grandes Sertões: Veredas', considering it an epic narrative. We will debate the condition of the man of the 'sertão' and its identity relations, which transform the image of the drought into a representation of life/struggle.

Paper long abstract:

Much of what is said about the 'sertão' carries an almost transcendental mystique. The 'sertanejo' of Guimarães Rosa's 'Grande Sertão: Veredas', accentuates this condition, as it allows the correlation of forces and feelings expressed, for example, between the characters Riobaldo and Diadorim. The novel eternalizes not only characters but behaviors, attitudes, assumptions, beliefs and values that are transmitted from generation to generation, albeit unconsciously. Thus, this reflection is based on the experimental reading of a novel, offering a pondering of the dimension of expectation (lighthouse), light (alternatives) and the conditions that make apprenticeship and valorization of 'sertaneja' culture a port to be conquered.