Quick Facts
- Key People:
- José de Alencar
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Indianista novel
Brazilian literary genre
Indianista novel, Brazilian literary genre of the 19th century that idealizes the simple life of the South American Indian. The tone of the Indianista novel is one of languid nostalgia and saudade, a brooding melancholy and reverence for nature. The Indian had appeared as a fictional character in Brazilian literature from the late 18th century. It was not until the following century, however, that José de Alencar initiated the vogue of the Brazilian Indianista novel by contributing two of the most popular works to the genre, O Guarani (1857) and Iracema (1865), romantic tales of love between Indian and white and of the conflict between the Indians and their Portuguese conquerors.
This article was most recently revised and updated by J.E. Luebering.
Discover how ordinary objects work, and expand your understanding of the familiar.
" height="20" alt="HEW Logo">
By clicking "Sign Up", you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.