A graciosa flor da árvore dos Cubas

Abstract

In this article, we seek to analyze the child as an analytical category. To do so, we read two chapters of the work Memórias Póstumas de Brás Cubas, which was published in book form in 1881, since then, the novel is considered by critics as the landmark of realism in Brazil. In this work, as well as in others, Machado de Assis draws attention not only for the human conduct of his adult characters, but also when they are children, so that childhood is represented in a different perspective from what we usually find in literary works. In the selected chapters, 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 family nucleus are responsible for the formation of his marked character through conflicts and failures. Thus, based on the novelist's critical fortune, such as Alfredo Bosi (2015), Roberto Schwarz (2012), Raymundo Faoro (2001) and Antonio Candido (2011), we aim to contribute to discussions about the representation of child characters in narratives Machado's.