Cartografias do sentir: a Cidade Alta na literatura memorialística (1950-1980)

Abstract

The neighborhood of Cidade Alta, the oldest in Natal, was a political, social, and cultural center from the colonial period until the Republic. As the seat of power and residence of the elites during the colonial period, it underwent republican reforms, including the establishment of the square of the three powers. Between 1950 and 1980, it became the capital's main commercial hub, with a vibrant bohemian life, attracting intellectuals, artists, and politicians. From the late 1970s, chronicles and memorialistic works emerged reflecting the concern to preserve its memory. Memorialistic literature emerges as resistance to urban changes and the assertion of Natal as a tourist hub in the Northeast. This research analyzes the transformations and the city constructed by memorialistic works, highlighting the importance of the neighborhood. To make the research possible, we used the Discourse Analysis methodology of Eni Orlandi, the conceptual categories of memory by Aleida Assman, and the space and place categories of Yi Fu Tuan and Edward Relph, coupled with the idea of a space of longing by Durval Muniz Albuquerque Júnior.