The construction of São Paulo metropolis: a dialogue between Richard Morse and Antonio Candido

Abstract

The book published by Richard Morse in 1954 - De comunidade a metrópole: biografia de São Paulo - nowadays can be considered a classic in the history of the city of São Paulo. From the community founded in 1554 on a plateau in the countryside of a Portuguese settlement in America, the work traces the paths that have led the city to become the main Brazilian metropolis. By seeking this, Morse indicated a particular relationship between different historical moments and the Paulista ethos. Such perspective is realized when the urban growth of the city in the 19th century occurs between two literary movements of its history: Romanticism and Modernism. This perspective turns into the content of Morse's work. Thus, from a tuned reading of Morse's book, this paper seeks to explore the dialogue between Richard Morse and Antonio Candido, looking into the latter's work hypotheses to understand Morse's book. •