The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07.
Alencar, José de
(älNngkâr´) (KEY) , 182977, Brazilian jurist and author. Alencar was one of the founders of modern Brazilian literature. His historical novels (O Guarani, 1857; Iracema, 1865, tr. 1886) offer idealized portraits of Brazils native cultures. In his later work (Senhora, 1875; O Sertanejo, 1875) he examined middle-class and regional life.