Da Outra América (1918-1922): Gilberto Freyre, The Traveling Intellectual

Abstract

The article investigates the influence of travel on the intellectual Gilberto Freyre, 
with emphasis on his experience as a student in the United States between 1918 and 1922, a period during which he wrote the column "Da Outra América" for the Diário de Pernambuco. To do so, the text is divided into three sections. The first section addresses the role of travel, on one hand, as a source of knowledge, exemplified in travel guides, diaries, and travel notes, and on the other hand, as a form of knowledge through first-hand exposure to different cultures and societies. The second section demonstrates Gilberto Freyre's relationship with travel in both senses: i. the author's fondness for travel literature, which he read and consulted in the development of his works; and ii. the journeys he undertook within the chosen time frame and beyond. The third section is dedicated to the analysis of the articles published by the author in the aforementioned column. The examination of the articles allows us to observe the gradual maturation of the young Freyre – both as a traveling intellectual and an intellectual traveler –
and reveals hints of the theoretical perspectives and outlines of thought that he would later develop.