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A Glimpse into Nineteenth Century Brazil Essay

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Esau and Jacob by Joaquim Machado de Assis portrays the tumultuous relationship between twin brothers, Pedro and Paulo, during the late nineteenth century; the twins symbolize the Brazilian political struggles during the transition from a monarchy to a republic. The brothers are emblematically born in 1870, “at the end of the Paraguayan War, a time when the Brazilian political elite split between conservatives and reformers” (xiii). The brothers fight; their most contentious arguments regard politics. Paulo is a republican and Pedro is a monarchist. The only commonalities the twins have are their love for their mother, Natividade, and their courtship of Flora. As an allegory, Natividade represents the old nation of …show more content…

Esau and Jacob illustrates the mix of Brazilians’ uncertainty and indifference during the fall of the monarchy, the flaws of their political system, and provides insights into 19th century society.

Uncertainty as the Monarchy Collapses

One of the cornerstones of Brazilian national mythology is the myth of conciliation. In 1822, Pedro I proclaimed “Fico” (“I am staying”) to declare Brazilian independence from Portugal; Brazil separated from Portugal and created a nation without a revolutionary war. In 1889, Marshal Deodoro de Fonseca declared Brazil a republic without firing a shot. Brazil’s bloodless history is extraordinary, especially compared to the gory political upheavals in Spanish Latin America. Mexico, for example, endured a ten year revolutionary war in which 10% of the population was killed and another 10% emigrated before the Porfirian dictatorship was ousted and a semi-democratic state was formed. Despite the relative peacefulness of the Brazilian revolution, chapter LXIII (“The New Sign”) finds Custódio, the teashop owner, agonizing about the name of his teashop. The teashop’s original name is “Confietaria do Império,” however the day after the monarchy collapses, Custódio fears revolutionary mobs will ransack his shop because of the teashop’s association with the old regime. Custódio considers renaming the

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