Based on the book debut of Alberto Rangel, Inferno Verde (Green Hell), published in 1908, this article investigates the motivations and constraints present in the author's creative process, regarding the representation of the Amazon as sertão (backlands). His adherence to the style of Euclides da Cunha, and his relationship with the state administrative apparatus when he was in the region, contributed to the idea of what seemed to be a hellish aspect of the Amazon. In his understanding of the national reality, in relation to the backlands, the author saw the Amazon as a forgotten world. For a different interpretation of the stories in the book, and the recognition of this hellish representation of the Amazon, it is necessary to take into consideration the aspects related to the aspirations and anxieties of Alberto Rangel on becoming a writer and to be recognized as such.
Amazon; Literature; Region