Os direitos humanos e a função humanizadora da literatura

Abstract

The article addresses structural racism, the right of anti-discrimination and the humanizing role of literature through Barbara Neely’s Blanche on the Lam (2022). The aim is to examine how literature supports the discussion of issues such as racism and prejudice. The plot analysis highlights discriminatory aspects faced by the protagonist, promoting anti-racist reflections from a legal perspective, based on Rios (2008), Maingueneau (2016), Almeida (2020) and Stutchcka (2023). The humanizing function of literature is discussed in the light of Antonio Candido (1972; 1995), highlighting the importance of the relationship between Law and Literature for critical formation in law. The conclusion is that the thematic relevance lies in reflecting on a law that, in addition to procedural normatization, considers the intersecting inequalities of race, gender and class that permeate the “legal operation”, with literature being an important instrument for a critical and sensitive formation of professionals in the field.