Latin-American Studies

Chica da Silva was an African  Brazilian slave who was sold to three masters and found immeasurable luck on the third. She was freed and gained stature in the society which was limited to the whites, while the Mullatos regard her as victorious, the whites never saw her as one of them, and instead she was nothing more than a woman who sold herself to different men.

The story of Francisca da Silva de Oliveira is rich in inspiration and criticism.

She was born in a world that she did not choose  a world where color was more important than the quality of ones heart or the magnanimity of ones intellect. She was born black and that marginalized her from being provided of the opportunities for personal and social development. Her father was Portuguese but her mother was a black slave.  And thus, color defined everything regardless of her Portuguese lineage, she was still discriminated. She was first sold to Sergeant Manuel Pires Sardinha and then to Jos da Silva Oliveira. The second master was forced to sell Chica to Joo Fernandes de Oliveira, mining Governor of Arraial, one of the richest, if not the richest man at that time.

The mining lord, Oliveros and Chica were never married, though she mothered him thirteen children. This is why the society regarded Chica as an indecent woman who sold herself to be able to bail herself out of poverty and slavery regardless of whether she truthfully loved Joao Olveira or not is a question she alone can answer, what is certain is she successfully rose from the dire mud of poverty and freed herself from the tormenting chains of slavery.

The question of love and gold-digging in the case of Chica of Jaoa is difficult to answer. There are, however, possible assumptions. Chica is a woman with very little choices in life. She was sold to her first master and gave him two sons, she was bought and sold by her next master. Either of the four events (being sold the first time, being a mother, being bought and sold again) were likely to be not of Chicas dreams, but as a slave she had no choice but to follow what the master wills her to She is a slave with no rights, no voice, no options  she is a like a robot programmed to obey at the command of the master. Having a sexual relationship with her masters could be one of the commands that she needs to comply with. In our time today, we can say that this is tantamount to rape as there is a question on the willingness of the woman to give herself to the man. The willingness or unwillingness of Chica remains unanswered.

With regards to her relationship with Joao, it was lasting that was certain. Thirteen children and her freedom as a human being speaks of a relationship greater than that anchored in sexual connection. It is clear that Joao and Chica were in a relationship where a greater power or desire to be with each other was everything that mattered. It is however, interesting to note what triggered this union. I will provide two analyses, one of which is favorable for Chica the other is not.

To begin, the favorable side Chica was a slave but still a human  she might have been denied of education, beautiful dresses and other opportunities in life but the capacity of one person to love is never dependent on what her socio  political status is, thus Chica has her innate ability to love after all that she had gone through Chica is craving for meaning in her life, a life of oppression and sorrow is also a life of hope and dreams and no woman dreamt of growing alone, of being lonely in the years ahead. Kindness is the breeding ground for love Jaoa was kind enough to give Chica her freedom, though possibilities of Chica running away from him was fluttering in the air, he still chose to free her that not only speaks of his kindness but of his trust on Chica  he trusts her not only with her feelings towards him, but he trusts in her ability to think, to decide, to make choices as well. And that, for a slave who had lived a life determined by the will and interests of others is important. That made Chica, a human being  able to think and able to decide. That could have also convinced that Joao is a man Chica can trust, a man whom she can freely give herself to because she knows she can be taken care of.

On the other hand, we can say that there is no person who would like to be sold but there are some who would like to be bought. The concept of whitening, which is mainly the critique of Chicas story makes sense. As I have said earlier, Chica was born in a world she did not choose, but how she will die is her own call. It is said that Brazilian women who are chained in slavery often develop intimate relationships with their masters so as to be whitened to free themselves from the pains and further sufferings brought about by their Black heritage. Chica could have grown clever every painful moment of her life, she could have transformed into this keen woman who is always scouting for opportunities to be free. This is not a surprising idea as even before the time of Chica and even now in our time, there are really women who marrychoose rich men as to share their wealth and stature in the society. In the story of Chica, she was a mistress, Joao never married her and no matter how much inspiration she had brought or brings to the Mullatos, in the eyes of the whites, she is nothing more than a prostitute.

The life in the mining district is bountiful if you are rich, but for people like Chica it was hard and it is up to them how to get by and go about the painful process. Chica, regardless of whether she loved or used Joao, remains to be a woman of courage she never lost hope and continued fighting until the very end.