Uma análise da volubilidade do narrador machadiano no romance Memórias Póstumas de Brás Cubas

Abstract

This paper analyses the novel Memórias Póstumas de Brás Cubas” through Roberto Schwarz’s thesis on the voluble narrator and paternalism, which can be identified on Machado de Assis’ works. This research begins by presenting how these aspects are inserted on the first novels, or on the so called first phase of the aforementioned writer. The paternalism issue is well delineated on Assis’ first novels, and this paper analyses it on the novels Iaiá Garcia, A mão e a luva and Helena. After that, a deeper reflection is presented about social volubility, which is emulated on the novel Memória Póstumas de Brás Cubas. On this novel it is possible to identify a voluble narrative not only on the content, but mostly on the form. Therefore, the analysis performed on this research corroborates with Schwarz perspective, which asserts that the narrator’s volubility is due to the fact that they represent the voluble society of the time. Roberto Schwarz’ reflections about Brazil’s incoherence on the incorporation of liberal European ideas at a time that still supported black people’s slavery shows the way the country was running counter to liberalism. By doing a sociological reading of Assis’ work, this paper reflects on the importance of Machado de Assis not only to the literature, but also to understand the ideological complexity of the Brazilian society, contributing to a better understanding of this people’s cultural and identity formation.