A book and a statement in our social formation

Abstract

This article starts from the book Água de barrela, by Eliana Cruz, a novel inscribed in the discursive formation of decolonization, to promote a reflection on current statements in our society, that sustains and justifies deep social inequalities. Inscribed in the discursive formation of whiteness, these statements institutionalizes certain meanings and covers up others. They can be subjected to other readings that have been prevented from circulating. That’s what the book brings into play. In this exercise, I return to the turn of the 19th century to bring three positions that allow us to think about the anchoring, the effects and the silencing of such statements.