Cultural Tourism and the Origins of a People: A Literary Touristic Route to the city of Fortaleza, based upon José de Alencar's literary oeuvre “Iracema”.

Denise Salvador*

Maria Manuel Baptista**

José de Alencar was among the greatest intelectual men in Brazil. His works are acknowledged worldwide as symbolic milestones of the Brazillian nationality, because of his nationalist depiction of the stories of a multicultural Brazil.

The book Iracema tells the love story of a man and a a woman, but goes beyond this composition (dois pontos) it presents the story of two civilizations that meet, amalgamate and live through conflict. The indigenous Iracema represents Brazil: the land, the passion, the seduction, the untouched, the wild, the beauty. Martim, the Portuguese white man, represents culture, the invasion, the new, the strange. The book depicts Brazillian nationality historically and symbolically by the interbred son of Iracema and Martim.

The book delivers a story of the foundation of the State of Ceará, depicting the hatred between two enemy indigenous tribes (tabajaras and pitiguaras). The pitiguaras inhabited Ceará's shore and were friends with the Portuguese, while the tabajaras lived in the countryside and were allies to the French (Barbosa and Beletti, s.d.).

The figure of the indigenous heroine Iracema is described by Alencar as

a virgem dos lábios de mel, que tinha os cabelos mais negros que a asa da graúna e mais longos que seu talhe de palmeira. O favo da jati não era doce como seu sorriso; nem a baunilha recendia no bosque como seu hálito perfumado. (Alencar, 1991:7)1

Martim, the white man, is charmed by the indian's beauty and purety. Iracema falls in love with that fascinating foreigner, but she can't be his, because, as the witchdoctor states, “if the virgin lets go of the flower of her body to the white warrior, she will die”. In spite of the complications, the “honey lipped virgin” surrenders to passion and gives in to the white warrior. Iracema then elopes to the shore, along with her now “husband” Martim and his Indian friend Poti. (Barbosa & Beletti, s.d.)

* Master Student in Management and Planning in Tourism at the University of Aveiro. ** Ph.D. in Culture at the University of Aveiro and Professor in the Department of Languages and Cultures, University of Aveiro. 1 Our translation: “the honey lipped virgin, whose hair was blacker than the chopi blackbird's wing and longer than the leaf of the palm tree. The jati bee's honeycomb was not as sweet as her smile; nor could the vanilla scent in the woods compare to her fragrant breath.”

Martim and Iracema live a joyful union for a while. Moacyr is born from this love, as an offspring of the relationship between the indian and the white man. He inherits his mother’s love for the land, and his father’s european culture.

However, Martim ends up becoming “saturated with happiness” and Iracema suffers with her husband's apathy. She starts having trouble breastfeeding her son and spends days without eating, which finally causes her to die, exhausted from the sadness. Martim, who keeps away from Iracema, returns only to find her dying. She hands their son over to him and dies, consumed by pain. Poti and Martim bury her by a coconut tree located by the river. The place where they lived and the river where the coconut tree was grown went on to be named Ceará. (Barbosa & Beletti, s.d.)

The book constructs Brazillian nationality historically and symbolically through the interbred son of Iracema and Martim. About this reference from the book, Alcântara (s.d.) points out that:

Desta união resultará a formação do Brasil, com a morte de Iracema, que pode ser interpretada como a morte simbólica de sua cultura em nome da implantação dos interesses do branco, portador da civilização. A índia morre, deixa seu fruto, o pequeno mestiço, e ao final, o português sai vencedor, vivo e pronto para colonizar e cristianizar estas terras. (Alcântara, s.d.)2

Iracema is the embodiment of the beauty and the feral Brazillian origin, and in José de Alencar's story, the cultural shock experienced represents “clearly that this contact between white men and the Portuguese is harmful to the former, because they, in their majority, suffer dangerous consequences to their race”. (Alcântara, s.d.)

It is important to accentuate that the symbolical origins of Brazillian people that José de Alencar intended to show, or even create, are represented in the figures of the characters (indians and white men) and their psychological features, as well as in the portrayals of nature. The romantic author's convenient sentimentalism provokes and arouses issues about social modifications and cultural clashes caused by the colonization of Brazil by the Portuguese.

Books are capable, by themselves, of creating and defining the routes to be visited by the reader, and that happens in the book Iracema. The author creates the settings, the flavors, the scents and the landscapes almost as if he was there and provides the reader with the oportunity to enjoy, in his imaginary, of each mentioned element: the “green brave seas” that shine like “liquid emerald beneath the rays of the rising sun, stretching the niveous sunny beaches, shadowed by coconut trees”, the hill that “blues on the horizon” where Iracema lived, are examples of the author's aesthetic perfection and intricacy (Alencar, 1991:6).

The focus of the creation of this literary touristic route is in the life of the Ceará-based writer José de Alencar (1829-1877) in his greatest literary work, Iracema, with the caption Legend of Ceará, published in 1865. The book is an indianist depiction and 2 Our translation: “this union will result in the formation of Brazil, with the death of Iracema, wich can be interpreted as the symbolic death of her culture in the name of the implantation of the white man's interests, bearer of the civilization. The indian dies, leaves her fruit, the little half-breed, and at the end, the Portuguese is victorious, alive and ready to colonize and christianize these lands.”

portrays the nationalist feeling that according to Helena (1993:4) “problematizes the notions of culture, social identity and nation” by means of the interbreeding of the indian owner of the land, colonized, with the white man, invader or explorer, colonizer.

This investigation presents a proposal of the development of literary tourism in the city of Fortaleza, located in the State of Ceará – Brazil, by creating a literary touristic route. This city being one of the most sought-after sunny shore destinations in Brazil, and having the State's biggest national and international touristic flow (State of Ceará's Government, 2010), this proposition is presented as a complimentary product to local tourism, with the simultaneous goal of developing and adding value to the cultural and literary tourism.

Among the many branches of the cultural tourism, there is literary tourism that lets the readers experiment locations, either real or imaginarily established by the works or lives of the authors. To other kinds of tourists, the aim is to encourage the expansion of the intelectual knowledge and the awakening of the importance of reading. In this context Simões (2004, s.d.) underlines that the touristic shifts, caused by literature in interconnection with culture, are initiated by discursive communication crossings, located in the symbolic materials, which permeate the three fields of knowledge in discussion (literature, culture and tourism).

Cultural tourism is a segment that differs from other types of tourism because its peculiarity is conditioned by the interests of visitors who travel in search of cultural enrichment: "The cultural tourist values culture in all its complexity and particularity, traveling in search of the icons that represent local identity and collective memory"(Ministry of Tourism of Brazil, 2008:25).

Books are not guides or specific itineraries for tourists, and do not take into account efficient logistics - nor do they have that intent or obligation. Thus, tourism planning acts as an important element in order to successfully implement literary itineraries. This way, all the important spots and milestones are properly made available to the public so that each element can be recognized and explored the best way possible.

Touristic routes gather and organize a set of elements of interest to the visiting public, under a specific theme. This unites all assets of the local heritage, whether they be material, immaterial, or natural, but that somehow represent some fact, refer to some story or to a particular lifestyle, or symbolize the culture of a society.

Standing out as examples of best practices in literary tourism are the cities of Edinburgh3 – Scotland, London – England, Paris – France, New York – United States; and in Brazil, initiatives like Flip – Paraty International Literary Festival – Rio de Janeiro; Ilhéus – Bahia and Cordisburgo – Minas Gerais. However, in Ceará there are no products developed in this genre.

The research now presented is exploratory. Scientific articles, books, newspapers and websites were consulted for the literature review. Best practices of literary tourism in Brazil and other countries where this activity appears more developed were also

3 It was declared the first city of literature by UNESCO (United Nations, Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)

analyzed. We seek, above all things, to register how the myths of origin may be the basis of a quality literary and cultural tourism.

By being associated with the author José de Alencar's life and his work Iracema, Fortaleza was the city chosen for the development of the proposed route in this study. The route is intended to link tourism and the myths origin of Brazilian nationality, in order to achieve some appreciation and recognition of the author and his work by the public that visits the city.

The planning of the route – The Fortaleza of Iracema and José de Alencar – was based on five key criteria: target audience, means of transport, duration of the program, survey of locations related to Iracema and José de Alencar, and a geographical survey of access routes. The following tables provide the itinerary, which is divided into two days:

First Day

Locations

Features

Activities

1. Home of José de Alencar Picture 1 – Home of José de Alencar

Source: http://www.cja.ufc.br/

The place where the author spent his childhood has been transformed into a museum and houses the author’s artistic, historical and literary collection.

Its woods can be used for friend and family gatherings; there is also a restaurant for visitors, art exhibitions, and a library.

2. Messejana Lagoon Picture 2 – Statue: “Iracema – Muse of Ceará”, Messejana Lagoon.

Source: http://www.citeluz.com.br/

Place where Iracema was symbolically abandoned with her child, for her love for Martim, currently with the statue of the indian: "Iracema – Muse of Ceará."

There are restaurants there, and around the lagoon it is possible to comprehend a bit more of the author's story work through explanatory panels.

Second Day

Locations

Features

Activities

1. Beira Mar Avenue. Picture 3 – Statue of Iracema – Volta da Jurema

Source: http://www.citeluz.com.br/ 2. Iracema Beach. Picture 4 – Statue “Guardian Iracema”

Source: http://www.pbase.com/alexuchoa 3. Presidente Castelo Branco Avenue. Picture 5 – Statue of Iracema by the Rotary Club Fortaleza Praia de Iracema.

Source:http://fortalezaemfotos.blogspot.com

The statues in honor of the indian Iracema are important landmarks and are arranged along Fortaleza’s coastline.

When seeing the statues along the coast, visitors will stand before the most important places of touristic spots of the city. Throughout its length and neighborhood there are the marketplace and craft fairs, shops, cultural centers, bars, restaurants, beach huts and the largest concentration of hotels in Fortaleza. It is suggested that meals and hosting take place in this area.

4. Monument to José de Alencar. Picture 5 – José de Alencar Square

Source:http://comunidade.jangadeiroonline.com.br 5. José de Alencar Theatre. Picture 6 – José de Alencar Theatre

Source: http://www.pbase.com/alexuchoa/

The monument features a sculpture of José de Alencar in the top, and below are portrayed images of his works Guarani and Iracema. Right ahead is the José de Alencar Theatre, which opened in 1910 and has an art nouveau facade, following the precepts of the opera-gardens.

Located in the heart of the city, it is a good opportunity to know the area and the most important building to honor José de Alencar.

The route can be done throughout the year because the weather of the city is tropical and varies only slightly. The created itinerary can be presented to tourists through the Internet, and with the support of public and private tourism organizations print material can be made, to be delivered at major touristic points in the city.

The route – The Fortaleza of Iracema and José de Alencar – offers tourists the knowledge about the history and influence of the writer and his most important work in the lives of the people from Ceará, and in the scenario of the city of Fortaleza. Each element of the route is designed not only to tell a fictional story, but to incorporate the symbolism that José de Alencar used to explain the origins of the Brazilian people, from a plot wich takes place in the lands of Ceará.

From this study we conclude that through the facilitation of cultural tourism in Fortaleza, you can not only attract new public but also draw attention to the city and its people, to value their origins through the example of a work and its author. It should be emphasized that, to provide this route a viable way to tourists, we need to do studies related to planning, marketing and economics to implement it later.

References

Alcântara, Beatriz, (s.d.): Iracema de José de Alencar. Fortaleza: Publicações Revista Oboé. Url: http://www.oboe.com.br/2010/publicacoes_revista.asp?cod=57, accessed: 29/01/2011

Alencar, José de, (1991) (24° Edição): Iracema. São Paulo: Ática.

Barbosa, Frederico & Beletti, Sylmara (s.d.): Estudo de Iracema de José de Alencar. Url: http://fredb.sites.uol.com.br/iracema.html, accessed: 10/01/201

Casa de José de Alencar. (2011). Casa de José de Alencar. Url: http://www.cja.ufc.br/index.php?option=com_phocagallery&view=category&id=2:fotoscasa1&Itemid=18, accessed:17/01/2011 Cite Luz. (2011). Estátua: “Iracema – Musa do Ceará”, Lagoa de Messejana e Estátua Iracema – Volta da Jurema. Url: http://www.citeluz.com.br/realizacoes/estados.asp?estado=Cear%C3%A1&codigo=34&realizacao=141, accessed: 17/01/2011 Fortaleza em Fotos & Fatos. (2010). Estátua marco do Rotary Clube Fortaleza Praia de Iracema. Url: http://fortalezaemfotos.blogspot.com/2010/10/avenida-presidente-humberto-de-alencar.html, accessed: 17/01/2011

Governo do Estado do Ceará, (2010): Turismo em Alta. Url: http://www.ceara.gov.br/index.php/sala-de-imprensa/noticias/1962-turismo-em-alta-setur-divulga-crescimento-de-12-9-nos-ultimos-nove-meses, accessed: 20/01/2011

Helena, Lúcia. (1993): A Narrativa de Fundação: Iracema, Macunaíma e Viva o Povo Brasileiro. Santa Maria: Revista Letras. Universidade Federal de Santa Maria. Url: http://w3.ufsm.br/revistaletras/artigo_r6/artigo%208.pdf, accessed: 20/01/2011.

Jornal Jangadeiro Online. (2010). Praça José de Alencar. Url: http://comunidade.jangadeiroonline.com.br/tag/praca-jose-de-alencar, accessed: 17/01/2011

Ministério do Turismo, (2008) (2° edição): Turismo Cultural: Orientações Básicas. Brasília: Ministério do Turismo, Secretaria Nacional de Políticas de Turismo, Departamento de Estruturação, Articulação e Ordenamento Turístico, Coordenação Geral e Segmentação.

Uchoa. Alex, (2007). Estátua “Iracema Guardiã” e Theatro José de Alencar. Url: http://www.pbase.com/alexuchoa/image/, accessed: 15/03/2011

Simões. Maria de Lourdes Netto, (2002): Turismo cultural e sustentabilidade: exemplo da região do sul do estado da Bahia, Brasil. Bahia: Notícias de Antropologia y Url: http://www.naya.org.ar/turismo/congreso/ponencias/maria_de_lourdes.htm, accessed: 15/12/2010