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Oswald de Andrade

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Oswald de Andrade was a famous Brazilian writer and thinker. He was born in São Paulo on January 11, 1890. He wrote many different things like poems and novels. He was also a cultural critic who studied art. Oswald helped start a new movement called Brazilian modernism. He was part of a special group called the Group of Five. This group included Mário de Andrade, Anita Malfatti, Tarsila do Amaral, and Menotti del Picchia.

Oswald used his money to help many artists. He supported painters like Tarsila do Amaral and Lasar Segall. He also helped publish many important new books. He was a very bold man with strong political views. He joined the Communist Party in 1931. However, he left that group in 1945. He was known for being very outspoken. Sometimes his loud way of speaking caused trouble. He even had a long argument with Mário de Andrade. This feud lasted from 1929 until Mário died in 1945.

In 1928, Oswald wrote a very important text. It was called the Manifesto Antropófago. This is also known as the Anthropophagist Manifesto. He had a big idea for how Brazil should use art. He thought Brazil should take ideas from other countries. Then, Brazil should "digest" them in its own way. He called this process Antropofagia. He said this was different from simple cannibalism. To him, it was a ritual from indigenous peoples. It was a way to take in a new way of seeing the world.

Oswald's ideas changed how people thought about culture. He wanted Brazil to stand up to European influence. One of his most famous lines was "Tupi or not Tupi: that is the question." This line was a play on words from Shakespeare. It also celebrated the Tupi people of Brazil. His ideas had a huge impact on many things. They helped shape Brazilian theater and music. They also helped new styles of movies grow. These include movements like Tropicalismo and Cinema Novo.

Many people still talk about Oswald today. Some thinkers call his ideas a very radical movement. They say it is an original way of thinking from Brazil. Other critics think his ideas were too mixed together. They argue it was hard to find one single meaning. Oswald lived a long and busy life in São Paulo. He passed away there on October 22, 1954. His books and poems are still studied by many people. He remains a major part of Brazil's history.

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