Carnivalization of the World

Carnivalization of the World

“Sin, as the saying goes, does not exist beneath the Equator”(213). This notion has been reinforced throughout history to describe Latin America, especially those areas being below the Equator, Brazil in particular. In the modern Brazilian celebration of carnaval, this concept has been reinforced and recreated in positive, rather than negative, terms. Carnaval is a celebration of the most basic qualities of humanity, the things that normally are not in the forefront of modern social norms. This article attempts to summarize this basic notion through examination of several aspects of the Brazilian carnaval. “A vision of evil and wickedness has given way to a kind of playful celebration of the most fundamental possibilities of life”(214). Desire, pleasure, and love are all things that people long for, yet are restricted to indulge in them because of restrictive social standards. Carnaval is a symbol for hidden human desire; a symbol for the expression of the true nature of humanity, one which thrives without constraints and limitations, one where basic human aspiration supersedes that of what is socially acceptable and “right.” The article suggests that if sin does indeed exist, it is only in the mind, a human creation. This article asserts that the seriousness of everyday life, created through repression of true desire and pleasure, is entirely contrasted by carnaval, a symbol of a world of “sensuality and satisfaction,” where pleasures of the body and of the mind surpass the restrictions enforced and imposed by modern “social order.”
Brazil is a country with a rich history, filled with countless examples of syncretism and the amalgamation of several different cultures. The abounding diversity in Brazil is the product of their history, and although Brazilians attempt to maintain their unique identity to the world, the modern social norms of humanity have shaped and changed Brazilian culture. Brazil is a place of many traditions, and there is no better example...

Similar Essays