Brazil under Construction: Fiction and Public Works

by Sophia Beal

Brazil under Construction: Fiction and Public Works explores how Brazil invested in ambitious construction projects throughout the twentieth century, such as the creation of a new capital city, extensive networks of highways, and hydroelectric power plants. Beyond their practical purposes, these public works became significant symbols of Brazil's modernity. While actual public works literally connected the nation, it was the government's representations of these projects that sought to inspire in Brazil's citizenry a notion of connectedness and progress. However, Brazilian fiction exposes the tensions between infrastructure built for the common good and the underbelly of public works: displacement, environmental devastation, uneven access, exploitation, and blight. This book examines how writers successfully use fiction - with its mystery, contradiction, wordplay, and fantasy - to engage the unprecedented role of public works in shaping perceptions of Brazil's modernization.

210 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Owen Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brazil Under Construction brings to life past and present issues surrounding Brazilian infrastructure. While mostly focusing on urban development, the text also delves into how public works projects affect rural and indigenous communities. I thought that the use of fictional works to uncover patterns in Brazilian public works projects helped me better understand the context in which these developments took place. Chapter 6 was my favorite.