Geografia literária, vivências topofóbicas e topofílicas do ser migrante: Macabéa Clariceana e as Macabéas de Manaus em busca de seu lugar

Abstract

This research is grounded in the perspective of Humanistic Cultural Geography, based on phenomenology, and is devoted to understanding the subjective dimensions of migration. It is founded on the conception of the migrant as a being-in-the-world, constituted by unique experiences, memories, and lived realities, whose presence in the city extends beyond interpretations based solely on demographic data. From this perspective, the study seeks to understand the experiences of being a migrant, highlighting the dreams, hopes, and trajectories that motivated them to leave their homeland in search of a new city. Accordingly, this dissertation establishes a dialogue between Geography, Literature, and migration by articulating the migratory experience of Macabéa, the protagonist of Clarice Lispector’s novel The Hour of the Star, with the memory narratives of migrant women living in the city of Manaus. Through this interweaving, the study examines how topophobic and topophilic experiences are manifested both in the literary narrative and in the lived experiences of the research participants. Initially, the research follows Clarice Lispector’s narrative, tracing Macabéa’s journey from Northeastern Brazil to Rio de Janeiro in search of the so-called “marvelous city”. Upon arriving, however, the character encounters different forms of exclusion, invisibility, and nonbelonging, experiencing topophobia in its deepest dimension. By relating this trajectory to the narratives of migrant women interviewed in Manaus, the study found that the first contact with the destination city is frequently marked by estrangement, discrimination, and manifestations of xenophobia. Nevertheless, over time,This research adopted a qualitative approach guided by the assumptions of subjectivity. In this perspective, the fieldwork was not based on a predetermined number of participants, but rather on the willingness of migrant women to share their memories, narratives, and life experiences. The methodological path led us to the geographical space of the city of Manaus, where we sought, in loco, to learn the stories of women who migrated driven by dreams and expectations, but who encountered challenges, hardships, and experiences of resilience in the destination city. The research collaborators consisted exclusively of migrant women living in Manaus, making it possible to intertwine the experience of Clarice Lispector’s Macabéa with the multiple stories of the “Macabéas of Manaus”, thereby revealing different ways of living, feeling, and constructing a sense of place through the migratory experience. The findings reveal the suffering, invisibility, and multiple forms of exclusion experienced by migrants in large cities, both in the literary narrative and in the lived experiences of the migrant women who participated in the research. These life narratives demonstrate that, beyond adversity, each individual constructs a unique trajectory marked by dreams and hope. In this sense, the dissertation reaffirms the importance of recognizing migrants in their existential condition by valuing their experiences, memories, and meanings of place-making as essential dimensions for understanding the phenomenon of migration.