Context and evolution of the national question in the work of Nelson Werneck Sodré

Abstract

The article deals with the so-called national question and the Brazilian revolution in the work of Nelson Werneck Sodré considering some of his critics; the work also proposes a division in his work that reflects the changes in his focus over time. The aim is to show how his approach evolved in light of the Brazilian history, through an interpretation which mixes historical contextualization and diachronic description. Our hypothesis is that Sodré’s work can be divided into three main periods, which refer, beyond the pre-Marxist one, to the so-called nationalist stage, and then to the recognition of a new economic dependence since 1964. We conclude that Sodré’s approach was not static and not detached from historical change, but rather reflecting it.