Agregadas, o favor e a ordem patriarcal em A mão e a luva e Casa velha

Abstract

The research study focused on the comparative analysis of the books A mão e a luva (1874) and Casa velha (1886), written by Machado de Assis. The comparative analysis was conducted using bibliographical research as its methodology, drawing upon works such as A Permanência do Círculo by Roberto Reis, Criação do patriarcado by Gerda Lerner, and Fiction and History by John Gledson. These works served to structure the theoretical foundation that would aid in the search for answers and solutions to the research problem. This problem centered on analyzing the different situations to which the two Machadian characters—Guiomar in A mão e a luva and Lalau in Casa velha—are subjected, considering their respective socioeconomic positions. The central parameters for understanding this issue involved scrutinize how 19th-century Carioca society, in which both narratives take place, was structured, how this social organization led to the emergence of agregados (a recurring theme in Machadian works), and how the female characters described by the author behaved in a universe governed by the logic of favor—the interested exchange of favors, as discussed by Roberto Schwarz in Ao vencedor as batatas (2003). Hierarchically, the terms núcleo and nebulosa, employed by Reis (1987), serve to describe the organization and distribution of social classes between those who have and those who do not, subordinating the latter to the interests of the former. Moreover, the essayist highlights that the closer one is to the núcleo, the greater the chances of social ascension. The mapping of issues about aggregate involving Guiomar and Lalau made it possible to establish a distinction between the two. In Guiomar’s case, the narrative highlights her close and intimate relationship with the Baroness, who holds the reins of power. Additionally, the Baroness is Guiomar’s godmother and harbors affection for her as if she were her own daughter, allowing the young woman to choose whom to marry. As Roberto Reis (1987) postulates in A permanência do círculo, Guiomar is closer to the núcleo, considered by the essayist as the sphere of those who holds the power. In Casa velha, Lalau has neither affection or emotional bonds with D. Antônia, the all-powerful lady who does not hide her disdain for the less fortunate. The situation is further complicated by the fact that Lalau, a mere aggregate of the house, becomes involved with Félix, D. Antônia’s son, aiming to secure a marriage that would elevate her out of the nebulosa. Naturally, aware of the distinction between socioeconomic classes, the young man’s mother prevents the aggregate maneuver.