🛶Latin American Literature – Before 1900 Unit 13 – Latin American Realism: Machado de Assis

Historical Context

• Latin American Realism emerged in the late 19th century, coinciding with the region's transition from colonial rule to independence
• Influenced by European Realist and Naturalist movements, which sought to depict reality objectively and critically
• Developed during a period of rapid modernization, urbanization, and social change in Latin America
  • Industrialization led to the growth of cities and the emergence of new social classes (middle class, urban working class)
  • Increased political instability and social inequality fueled intellectual and artistic responses
• Reflected the growing influence of positivist philosophy, which emphasized scientific observation and rational analysis
• Responded to the challenges of nation-building and the search for a distinct Latin American identity in the post-colonial era
• Coincided with the rise of journalism and the expansion of print culture, which provided new platforms for literary expression

Key Characteristics of Latin American Realism

• Focused on depicting contemporary social reality, often with a critical and analytical perspective
• Portrayed the everyday lives and struggles of ordinary people, particularly the middle and lower classes
• Explored themes of social inequality, political corruption, and the impact of modernization on traditional societies
• Incorporated elements of local color and regionalism, highlighting the unique cultural and geographical features of different Latin American countries
• Employed a more objective and detached narrative style, in contrast to the romanticism and sentimentality of earlier literary movements
• Often included a strong element of social critique and satire, exposing the flaws and contradictions of Latin American societies
• Emphasized the psychological complexity and inner lives of characters, moving beyond simple stereotypes or archetypes

Machado de Assis: Life and Literary Career

• Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis (1839-1908) was a Brazilian novelist, poet, playwright, and short story writer
• Born in Rio de Janeiro to a family of modest means, he faced significant social and racial barriers as a mulatto in 19th-century Brazil
• Largely self-educated, he worked as a typesetter and journalist before establishing himself as a writer
• Began his literary career writing romantic poetry and plays, but later transitioned to realism and became a pioneering figure in the movement
• Served as the first president of the Brazilian Academy of Letters, which he helped found in 1897
• Considered one of the greatest writers in the Portuguese language and a key figure in the development of Brazilian literature
• His works often featured sharp social commentary, psychological insight, and innovative narrative techniques that anticipated modernist literature

Major Works and Themes

• "The Posthumous Memoirs of Brás Cubas" (1881) is considered Machado's masterpiece and a landmark of Latin American realism
  • Uses an innovative narrative structure, with a deceased narrator reflecting on his life and society
  • Satirizes the Brazilian elite and exposes the hypocrisy and moral decay of the upper classes
• "Quincas Borba" (1891) continues the themes and style of "The Posthumous Memoirs," following the adventures of a philosopher who inherits a fortune
• "Dom Casmurro" (1899) is a psychological novel that explores themes of jealousy, obsession, and the unreliability of memory
  • Tells the story of a man who becomes convinced that his wife has been unfaithful and that their child is not his own
• Short stories, such as "The Alienist" (1882) and "The Looking Glass" (1882), often use humor and irony to critique social norms and institutions
• Recurring themes in Machado's work include the illusion of free will, the subjectivity of truth, and the role of social class in shaping individual destiny

Literary Techniques and Style

• Machado de Assis is known for his innovative narrative techniques, which often subvert traditional storytelling conventions
• Frequently employs unreliable narrators, whose perspectives are biased, limited, or deliberately misleading
  • This technique highlights the subjectivity of truth and the difficulty of obtaining objective knowledge
• Uses irony, satire, and humor to expose the contradictions and absurdities of Brazilian society
  • Often juxtaposes the public facade of respectability with the private realities of vice and corruption
• Incorporates elements of metafiction, drawing attention to the artificiality of the narrative and the role of the author
• Experiments with non-linear narrative structures, such as flashbacks, digressions, and fragmented storylines
• Employs a concise, elegant prose style that balances social critique with psychological depth and philosophical reflection
• Makes extensive use of intertextuality, alluding to and subverting classic works of Western literature

Social Critique and Satire

• Machado de Assis's works offer a penetrating critique of Brazilian society in the late 19th century
• Exposes the hypocrisy and moral corruption of the upper classes, who maintain a veneer of respectability while engaging in selfish and unethical behavior
• Satirizes the shallow materialism and social climbing of the emerging middle class, who seek to emulate the aristocracy
• Criticizes the institution of slavery and the deeply entrenched racism of Brazilian society
  • Highlights the psychological and social impact of slavery on both the enslaved and the enslavers
• Mocks the pretensions of the intellectual and political elite, who use high-flown rhetoric to mask their own self-interest
• Reveals the limitations and injustices of the legal system, which often serves to protect the privileged and oppress the marginalized
• Challenges the romantic ideals of love and marriage, exposing the economic and social factors that shape relationships

Influence on Latin American Literature

• Machado de Assis is widely regarded as a pioneering figure in the development of Latin American literature
• His innovative narrative techniques and psychological depth anticipated the experimental styles of 20th-century modernist writers
• Influenced subsequent generations of Brazilian writers, including Lima Barreto, Graciliano Ramos, and Clarice Lispector
• His works helped to establish the novel as a serious and sophisticated literary form in Brazil and throughout Latin America
• Contributed to the growing international recognition of Latin American literature in the late 19th and early 20th centuries
• His critique of social inequality and political corruption resonated with writers and intellectuals across the region
• Inspired later Latin American writers to explore the complexities of national identity and the legacy of colonialism

Connections to Other Literary Movements

• Machado de Assis's works reflect the influence of European realism and naturalism, particularly the novels of Flaubert, Balzac, and Zola
  • Shares their focus on depicting contemporary social reality and their critical perspective on bourgeois society
• Anticipates the psychological depth and narrative experimentation of modernist literature, particularly the works of James Joyce and Virginia Woolf
• Can be seen as a precursor to the Latin American Boom of the 1960s and 70s, which also sought to challenge traditional narrative forms and explore questions of national identity
• His use of irony, satire, and metafiction has been compared to the works of postmodern writers such as Jorge Luis Borges and Julio Cortázar
• Engages with the broader philosophical and intellectual currents of his time, including positivism, determinism, and skepticism
• Reflects the growing influence of journalism and the press on literature, both as a source of inspiration and as a vehicle for social critique