O coronel, o capanga e o crime em "São Bernardo" de Graciliano Ramos: um estudo acerca da seletividade penal na primeira república brasileira (1889-1930)

Abstract

The present work deals with the issue of the selectivity of the penal system in the First Brazilian Republic through the study of the novel “São Bernardo” by Graciliano Ramos. Using the “law in literature” methodology established by Henriete Karam, it was possible to analyze the stories of two characters in the plot (Paulo Honório and Casimiro Lopes) regarding the subject of the selectivity of the penal system, seeking to find links between the reality and the world of fiction. With regard to Paulo Honório, it was observed that the criminal protection in relation to this character was linked to the subordination of the Judiciary and the Police to the colonels of the period. Likewise, with regard to Casimiro Lopes (Paulo Honório's henchman), it was noted that the criminal system did not persecute him due to the existing commitments between colonels and henchmen. In this sense, it was possible not only to verify the correspondences of the novel “São Bernardo” with the reality of the period (First Brazilian Republic), but also to understand the mechanisms that established this selectivity of the penal system.