The Problem of Crime, Violence, and Wickedness in “Literature of the North”

Abstract

In the novels that constitute Franklin Távora’s “Literature of the North,” crime, violence, and evil are recurring topics. The choice of villains and types marginalized as protagonists of his works suggests that besides the primary purpose of exalting the human types, the legendary figures, and traditional heroes of the region, the author creates novels that investigate the inner meanders of the human soul and seek to understand the driving forces that guide the individual. Based on the conception that literature serves as a tool for probing the self and the Other, their longings and obscure desires, the article discusses how these topics allow Franklin Távora, on one hand, to reveal his worldliness in the confluence of literary styles, ideologies, and philosophical-scientific theories in a moment of transformation of the country. On the other hand, they allow him to discuss fundamental questions about the human condition.