Entre a imagem e a realidade: uma análise histórica das representações da segunda guerra mundial no mangá Adolf

Abstract

The modernization of objects and methods in historical research, especially with the influence of the Annales School, led to the inclusion of new sources in the historian's work. A relevant example is literature. In this context, the manga series "Adolf", created by Osamu Tezuka, offers an approach to analyzing the period between 1936 and 1945, a time marked by the rise of Adolf Hitler, which spans from the 1936 Olympic Games to the defeat of the Axis powers in 1945. This study aims to examine the representations present in Tezuka's work and their connection with the reality of German and Japanese societies during World War II, in addition to their antecedent contexts. Several significant elements of this period will be explored, such as the fears related to death, repression, torture, the Holocaust and censorship that prevailed under the regime of fear and dictatorship. To support the research, the theoretical framework will be used that encompasses the discussions of Will Eisner (2010), Sonia M. Bibe Luyten (2014) and Claudia Pedro Winterstein (2009) with regard to the analysis of comics and manga; the reflections of José D'Assunção Barros (2020), Marc Bloch (2001) and Caio César Boschi (2007) on the sources and the revolution proposed by the Annales; in addition to a reading on World War II and Germany, with contributions from authors such as Eric Hobsbawm (1995), Richard J. Evans (2011) and William Shirer (2008). Additionally, the analyses of Jean Chesneaux (1976) and Bruno Magno (2018) will be used to understand Japan during this conflict. Finally, it will be an approach to the representations of Roger Chartier (1990) and reflections on memory from the writings of Jacques Le Goff (1990), Maurice Halbwachs (1990) and Pierre Nora (1993). In summary, the author harshly criticizes the war, mainly by shedding light on the leaders of the conflict, bringing them as the main responsible for the horrors of the conflict, such as the holocaust, food rationing and violence, all in order to defend an exacerbated patriotism at civilian expense. In this way, Tezuka's manga stands out not only as a source of representation, but also as a research tool for both historians and students, in order to bring a reflection on World War II.