A graciosa flor dos Cubas

Abstract

Abstract

In this essay, we analyze the child as an analytical category in Brazilian fictional narratives, for that, we read two chapters of the work Memoirs of Brás Cubas by Machado de Assis, which was first published in 1881, since then, the novel is considered by critics as the landmark of realism in Brazil. In the selected chapters, the deceased author Brás Cubas remembers his childhood from birth, so, according to our hero, the “mischief”, the expectations around him, and the education he receives in his bourgeois family nucleus, are responsible by the formation of his character marked by conflicts and failures. Thus, based on the critical fortune of the novelist, we aim to contribute to the discussions about the representation of child characters in Machado's narratives.

Keywords:

Machado de Assis. Kid. Character.