O Engenho de Meninos: literatura e história de Gênero em José Lins do Rego

The first section of this article discusses the relationship between literature and history and the role these writing practices play in the modern West, specifically, as they play into the ideas of the "subject" and the "individual".  The second section focuses on the work of Jose Lins de Rego; in it, we analyze how he elaborates his own subject image, first in childhood and later as an adult. Finally, we describe changes in the relationships between genders, particularly masculinity codes in the Northeast based upon the author's analysis of the sexual life of a mill boy compared to the sexual life of youngsters and adults in the city. Said another way, we are trying to use literature as a means to the end of studying gender history.The first section of this article discusses the relationship between literature and history and the role these writing practices play in the modern West, specifically, as they play into the ideas of the "subject" and the individual" The second section focuses on the work of Jose Lins de Rego; in it, we analyze how he elaborates his own subject image, first in childhood and later as an adult. Finally, we describe changes in the relationships between genders, particularly masculinity codes in the Northeast based upon the author's analysis of the sexual life of a mill boy compared to the sexual life of youngsters and adults in the city. Said another way, we are trying to use literature as a means to the end of studying gender history.Este trabalho discute inicialmente a relação entre a literatura e a história, como estas práticas de escritura participam no Ocidente moderno da elaboração da própria idéia de sujeito e de indivíduo. Num segundo momento, a partir da obra de José Lins do Rego, analisamos como esta participa da elaboração da própria imagem de sujeito do autor, seja na infância, seja na idade adulta. Por fim, procuramos descrever as mudanças nas relações de gênero, e mais particularmente nos códigos de masculinidade no Nordeste a partir da análise do que o autor descreve como sendo a vida sexual de um menino de engenho e as comparações que faz com a vida sexual de meninos e homens adultos na cidade, ou seja, buscando verificar a possibilidade do uso da literatura para se fazer história de gênero.    &nbsp