Dreadful Sertões, Dreadful Sarcophagi: katabasis in O Cabeleira

Abstract

In the plot of O Cabeleira (1876) by Franklin Távora, the characterization of the characters is closely tied to the spaces they identify with within the captaincy of Pernambuco — the Coast, the Zona da Mata, and the Alto Sertão. As the novel is set in the period described by Cristóvão (1995) as the one where the sertão is represented as “hell,” this study offers a reading of the episode of Cabeleira’s crossing through the High Sertão, exploring the literary theme of katabasis, the descent into hell. This approach aims to analyze the spatial contours in Távora's narrative from a new perspective and to gain a deeper understanding of the protagonist’s development in relation to his movement through this space. The study concludes that Cabeleira’s journey through the sertão not only mirrors the imagery of the sertão landscape as infernal but also serves as a vehicle for his personal transformation and redemption — a hell turned purgatory. By imparting this complexity to the representation of this spatial cutout, Távora challenges traditional representations and nuances the depiction of literary spaces associated with the northeastern region.