THE CULTURAL-HISTORICAL THEORY IN DONA BENTA’S EVENINGS

THE STORY OF THE ANIMAL-INVENTOR

Abstract

This discussion emerges from part of Lobato's writings and the Cultural-Historical Theory. Lobato's snip refers to the book "History of inventions" and the Theory snip refers to the concepts of collective work and, mainly, of mediation, based on Vygotski, Leontiev and Luria. The objective is to present the Theory from the story of Lobato. Dona Benta tells her grandchildren and the doll Emília how the animal-man, through inventions, expanded the strength and reach of his eyes, feet, hands, mouth, ears, etc., transforming himself into an animal with more power. Vygotski, Leontiev and Luria seek, in human phylogenesis, to explain how, through work, man organized himself into a society, developing sign systems for communication, creating and improving instruments to expand his action within the environment and, in this way, from the relationship mediated by signs and instruments, transforms nature and transforms himself. The history of the man-animal invention is seen as an historical analysis that reveals to Pedrinho, Narizinho and Emília the process of appropriation of culture, so that they realize they live in a world which has been transformed by the needs and creativity of man who has built it. This theoretical reflection with the support of literature can be present in undergraduate courses, especially in Pedagogy, in which learning from Vygotski is studied. It is not intended to reduce literature to a utilitarian feature, but to expand the possibilities of reading the books.