Historians and the literary text: some notes

Abstract

This paper develops some reflections on how history works with literary texts. This has been a long time relationship, since both have narrative as a common principle and share important categories to build thought and imagination. The text assumes “time” and “place” are constitutive elements, inherent and necessary to the emergence and affirmation of romance as a literary genre and, simultaneously, of the field of history as a discipline. It then attempts to circumscribe some aspects of the literary and historiographic production on the 19th century Brazil, bearing in mind the significant concern, at that time, to seize reality through likelihood and veracity, or even ambition for truth.