O jogo entre história e ficção em Esaú e Jacó

Abstract

We propose an interpretation of Esaú e Jacó focusing the relations between history and fiction present in this novel. In his penultimate publication, Machado de Assis uses as backdrop the period between the final years of the Monarchy and the beginning of the Republic in Brazil to organize the history of the twins Peter and Paul. The interests of the characters and the rivalry of the twins will to correspond with the political period portrayed. Also interests us to analyze the performance of the narrative voice of the novel, able to set up a game between narrator and reader.