1. Sexuality In The Comtext of Local Culture
1.1. Proverty and Sexuality
1.1.1. The reason some things are said and somethings are left unsaid in regards to sexuality and everyday life
1.1.2. There are a number of elements that structure sexuality in Felicidade Eterna.
1.1.2.1. Crituquing sexuality is difficult for women because of the identity of sensual and tropical sexuality of the Braziian carnivalization of desire
1.1.2.2. Brazilian Sexuality is central at a social or cultural level
1.1.2.3. sexuality is a key metaphor of everyday language & decription of aspects of social life
1.1.2.3.1. Sexual joking & teasing isa friendly aspect of social relations of verbal confirmation of central sexuality relations
1.1.2.3.2. sexual teasing and banter are common in Felicidade Eerna. Sexual humor is ptactical for young and old.
1.2. The Carnivalization of Desire
1.2.1. Brazilian sexuality is different than standard sexual permissiveness & sexual positiveness that has presented academic literature and popular culture which captures partial truth and demand critical refelection.
1.2.1.1. Sexual permissiverness & sex- positiveness are social facts tahe describe social relations in Rio de Janeiro while capturing important aspects of local culture.
1.2.1.2. There is sense of bodily liberation expressed in body language, dress, flirtation and exuberant dance.
1.2.1.2.1. Public fflirtation is elaborate, beloved game and appreciated as pleasurable and complimentary of women's bodies.
1.2.1.2.2. Women of all classes enjoy being looked at, being sexually desired and being complimented. To be ignored is punishment.
1.2.2. Two types of homesexuality in Brazil
1.2.2.1. upper class & lower class
1.2.2.2. Upper-class are imported from Western Europe & North America of one sexual and social identity and one sexual object choice
1.2.2.3. Lower -class are categorized as homens (men) and bichas ( faggot).
1.2.2.3.1. Homem _active, penrtrating men who maintain masculine identity
1.2.2.3.2. Bichas - passive, receiving partners who represents effeminate men and whose masculine identity is comprised by their social and sexual role
1.3. Femnist have produced a significant body of work on sexuality in Brazil.
1.3.1. Feminism in Brazil intellectual life viewed feminist literature as too essentialist and feminisr literature on sexuality perceived to be too sex- negative.
1.3.2. Brazilian feminist has had difficulty confronting issues that touch upon the body and sexuality in context of heterosexual relations.
1.3.3. The absence of a feminist crtiue of gender power relations and normative heterosexual relations - some partial truth have remained hidden.
1.3.3.1. The inability to speak critically about sexuality leaves poorer, darker skinned Afro Brazilian women women as second class sexual citizens because they can not critique their own local subculture approach to sexuality
1.3.3.1.1. Find voice through humor that provides a critique of everyday sexuality that reveals broader, deeper more troubling picture of sexuality in Rio de Janeiro.
1.3.3.1.2. You are defined by if you eat or if you are eaten
1.3.3.2. Active females are viewed negatively and are referred to as disturbance Too many sexual partners are known as a chicken or meat eating fish ( both negative connotations)
1.4. Sacanagem - can be good or bad- an act that gives pleasure as well as one that humiliates another. (anal sex.
2. Local Sexual Culture in Felicidade Eterna
2.1. Metaphors about food and eat used to express ideas about sexuality
2.2. Men are inadequate economic providers eiter not earning much ar not sharing their wages appropriately to care for their families. men are more likely to fool around. Men sexuality is perceived as animal like, ncontrollable,thoughtless. Male infidelity is disliked but viewewd as normal male behavior.
2.2.1. it is unhealthy for men to go toolong with out sex- povokes insantity. There is a desire to provide boys with sexual experience so that they will know how to fulfill their sexual active role, therfore they are expected to be active seducers.
2.3. if awoman usually fool around for revenge . Women are expected to be loyal because they are women. Women work hard to prevent double standards.
3. Chapter 7: What's So Funny About Rape
3.1. An evening of terror - Gloria's daughtere's were raped and she her family abandoned a home in a real neighborhood and a man that could provided economically to move back to her old shack and a former alcoholic lover whocould not provide economically.
3.1.1. Gloria blamed for selfish act during the time that her daughters were raped ( focusued on his own losses)
3.2. The humor of the stories appeared to be "laughter of place" was actually "laughter in place"
3.2.1. Rape was not acceptable
3.2.2. Anita used the night of terror as a vehicle for conflict with mother
3.2.2.1. Anita becoming a woman- sexually active before rape
3.2.2.1.1. Daughters had to get out of mother's house as soon as they became sexually active.
3.2.2.2. Gloria retelling of story of rape and robbery was able to criticize teenage pregnancy and express expectations and frustration for a man providing financial support for family
3.2.2.2.1. Retelling story of various humorous details allowed venting of anger about a serious event that would normally be difficult in a staightforward manner.
3.2.2.2.2. Laughter through tears instead of dealing with it legally.
3.2.3. Gloria aborted Anita's baby
3.2.4. All women were good storytellers. Women trying to escape one form of being a victim by entering another troubled situation.
3.2.5. Humor can only be understood in it's place and place is always circumscribed by relations oof class, gender, race and sexuality
3.2.5.1. Taste- "bad taste" / The content of bad humor substantiates the possibility that dominant classes caught in a set of limiting circumstances have few options beyond laughter