A link between Brazil and France: Machado de Assis's Histórias da Meia-Noite

Abstract

Histórias da Meia-Noite, by Machado de Assis, is composed by six short stories that were initially published on Jornal das Famílias (1863-1878), and compiled into book form only in 1873. As the presence of French marks can be found in almost all of them, it is intended to perform an analysis of these texts, thus making it possible, after locating the sources quoted by the Brazilian author, to present suggestions for the comprehension of how the French element is manifested in this work of Machado, and to what purpose. At first, it is possible to verify that the French presence is manifested through quotes from the works of André Chénier and Boileau, allusions to writers such as Nicolas Gilbert, La Rochefoucauld, Corneille and Beaumarchais and also through expressions of French language. It is intended to analyze how the insertion of French marks occurred in the selected short stories and verify their role in the work of the Brazilian writer, thus collaborating with studies concerning the Cultural Exchange between Brazil and France during the 19th century. (AU)