Raul d'Ávila Pompeia (April 12, 1863 – December 25, 1895) was a Brazilian

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living wage, living writing novels and other fiction, while other ...

short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...

writer and

chronicler A chronicle (, from Greek ''chroniká'', from , ''chrónos'' – "time") is a historical account of events arranged in chronological order, as in a timeline. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and local events, ...

. He is famous for the

Impressionist Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

romance ''

O Ateneu ''O Ateneu'' (English language, English: ''The Athenaeum'') is a novel written by the Brazilian author Raul Pompeia in 1888, which is considered one of the most prominent examples of Brazilian Naturalism (literature), Naturalism, Impressionism (li ...

''. He was the original patron of the 33rd chair of the

Brazilian Academy of Letters The Academia Brasileira de Letras (ABL; English: ''Brazilian Academy of Letters'') is a Brazilian literary non-profit society established at the end of the 19th century. The first president, Machado de Assis, declared its foundation on Tuesday, ...

Biography

Pompeia was born in 1863 to Antônio d'Ávila Pompeia and Rosa Teixeira Pompeia. As a young man, he entered the Colégio Abílio, run by Abílio César Borges, the Baron of Macaúbas, where he was a good student, and the editor of the school journal ''O Archote''. In 1879, he was transferred to

Colégio Pedro II ''Colégio Pedro II'' (Pedro II School) is a federal public school located in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Named after Pedro II of Brazil, it was established on 2 December 1837, and made official by Imperial decree on 20 December of the same ...

, where he wrote his first book, ''Uma Tragédia no Amazonas''. In 1881 he moved to

São Paulo São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...

in order to graduate in law. There he was influenced by

abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the political movement to end slavery and liberate enslaved individuals around the world. The first country to fully outlaw slavery was Kingdom of France, France in 1315, but it was later used ...

and republican ideals, and befriended abolitionist

Luís Gama Luís Gonzaga Pinto da Gama (21 June 1830 – 24 August 1882) was a Brazilian lawyer, abolitionist, orator, journalist and writer, and the Patron of the abolition of slavery in Brazil. Born to a free black mother and a white father, he was nevert ...

. He wrote for many journals of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, frequently using the

pen name A pen name or nom-de-plume is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen name may be used to make the author's na ...

Rapp, although he had many others, including Pompeu Stell, Um moço do povo, Lauro, Fabricius, Raul D. and Raulino Palma. He published his book ''Canções Sem Metro'' and the

novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...

As Joias da Coroa ''As Joias da Coroa'' is a novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singul ...

'' in the ''Jornal do Commercio''. After being reproved in 1883, he moved to

Recife Recife ( , ) is the Federative units of Brazil, state capital of Pernambuco, Brazil, on the northeastern Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of South America. It is the largest urban area within both the North Region, Brazil, North and the Northeast R ...

and there he concluded his Law course. Returning once more to Rio de Janeiro, he wrote his masterpiece ''O Ateneu'' in 1888. After the

Lei Áurea The (; ), officially Law No. 3,353 of 13 May 1888, is the law that abolished slavery in Brazil. It was signed by Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil (1846–1921), an opponent of slavery, who acted as regent to Emperor Pedro II of Brazil, ...

() − which ended slavery in Brazil − was approved, Pompeia dedicated himself exclusively to the republican movement. After the republic was proclaimed in Brazil, he became a

Mythology Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society. For scholars, this is very different from the vernacular usage of the term "myth" that refers to a belief that is not true. Instead, the ...

teacher in the

Escola Nacional de Belas Artes Escola de Belas Artes (School of Fine Arts) is one of the centers of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and dates back to colonial times. A royal letter of 20 Nov 1800 by John VI of Portugal established the ''Aula Prática de Desenho e ...

and director of the

National Library of Brazil The National Library of Brazil (, official name is ) is the depository of the bibliographic and documentary heritage of Brazil. It is located in Rio de Janeiro, the capital city of Brazil from 1763 to 1960, more specifically at Cinelândia squar ...

, being named for both positions by

Brazilian president The president of Brazil (), officially the president of the Federative Republic of Brazil () or simply the ''President of the Republic'', is the head of state and head of government of Brazil. The president leads the executive branch of the ...

Floriano Peixoto Floriano Vieira Peixoto (; 30 April 1839 – 29 June 1895) was a Brazilian military and politician, a veteran of the Paraguayan War and several other conflicts, and the second president of Brazil. Born in (today a district of the city of ...

. However, as a die-hard supporter of Peixoto, he was subsequently fired from his post by president

Prudente de Morais Prudente José de Morais Barros (4 October 1841 – 3 December 1902), often referred to as Prudente de Morais, was a Brazilian lawyer and politician who served as the third president of Brazil from 1894 to 1898. Morais was elected in 1894, bein ...

, towards whom he was charged with disrespect in a speech he made at the burial of Floriano Peixoto, who had died suddenly shortly after the end of his presidential term. Pompeia had already been personally slandered for his allegedly closet

homosexuality Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or Human sexual activity, sexual behavior between people of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexu ...

— something which led him to challenge his former friend, the poet

Olavo Bilac Olavo Brás Martins dos Guimarães Bilac (16 December 1865 – 28 December 1918), known simply as Olavo Bilac (), was a Brazilian Parnassian poet, journalist and translator. Alongside Alberto de Oliveira and Raimundo Correia, he was a member ...

, to a

duel A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people with matched weapons. During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the rapier and later the small sword), but beginning in ...

in 1892; he had also broken other friendships in the same dramatic fashion. Eventually, he suffered a breakdown: after being slandered for his Floriano speech in a piece by journalist Luís Murat entitled "A Madman in the Cemetery", feeling himself scorned everywhere, he committed suicide by shooting himself in the chest with a pistol on Christmas Day 1895.Alfredo Bosi, ''História concisa da literatura brasileira''. São Paulo: Cultrix, 2006, , 183. Available a

See, als

/ref>

Works

* '' Uma Tragédia no Amazonas'' (

1880 Events January *January 27 – Thomas Edison is granted a patent for the incandescent light bulb. Edison filed for a US patent for an electric lamp using "a carbon filament or strip coiled and connected ... to platina contact wires." gr ...

) * ''

'' (

1882 Events January * January 2 ** The Standard Oil Trust is secretly created in the United States to control multiple corporations set up by John D. Rockefeller and his associates. ** Irish-born author Oscar Wilde arrives in New York at the ...

) * '' Canções Sem Metro'' (

1883 Events January * January 4 – ''Life'' magazine is founded in Los Angeles, California, United States. * January 10 – A fire at the Newhall Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, kills 73 people. * January 16 – ...

) * ''

'' (

1888 Events January * January 3 – The great telescope (with an objective lens of diameter) at Lick Observatory in California is first used. * January 12 – The Schoolhouse Blizzard hits Dakota Territory and the states of Montana, M ...

)

Translations

* '' The Athaeneum''. Evanston: Northwestern University Press, 2015.

References

External links

Raul Pompeia's biography at the official site of the Brazilian Academy of Letters
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pompeia, Raul 1863 births 1895 deaths Gay novelists Suicides in Brazil University of São Paulo alumni People from Angra dos Reis Patrons of the Brazilian Academy of Letters 19th-century Brazilian male writers 19th-century Brazilian LGBTQ people Brazilian LGBTQ novelists Brazilian gay writers Suicides by firearm in Brazil 1890s suicides

Biography

Works

Translations

References

Further reading

External links