1. Modern Language Studies
Maxims in "Grande Sertão: Veredas"
Author(s): Thomas J. Braga
Reviewed work(s):
Source: Modern Language Studies, Vol. 22, No. 3 (Summer, 1992), pp. 76-83
Published by: Modern Language Studies
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3195221 .
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2. in Sertio: Veredas
Maxims Grande
Thomas Braga
J.
When the historyof twentieth-century Brazilian literatureis
writtenin the next century,Joao Guimaraes Rosa's Grande Sertio:
Veredas will undoubtedly emergeas the singlemostimportant workof
fiction the period. Vast and varied have been the numerouscritical
of
works devoted to thismajor authorwho has already been proclaimed
the equal of Machado de Assis. Curiouslyenough,however,relatively
littleattentionhas been accorded the didactic aspect of the novel in
generaland its maximsin particular. Yet the narrator Riobaldo makes
of his in
a pointquite earlyin the narrative underscoring interest litera-
tureof moralinstruction:
Em tanto, ponhoprimazia naleitura
e proveitosa, de santo,
vida virtudes
e exemplos-missiondrio espertoengambelandoos indios,ou Sao
de
Francisco Assis, SantoAnt6nio, Geraldo... Eu gostomuito
Sao de
moral.Raciocinar,exortar outros
os para o bom caminho,
aconselhar
a justo.(14)
Indeed, a close reading of the work reveals more than four
hundred(400)1statements thatcould be qualifiedin varying degreesas
either maximsin theconventional sense of theword meaning"a concise
formulation a fundamental
of principleor rule of conduct,"or in an ex-
tendedinterpretation meaning in
moralizing toneorperspective. Without
pretending to exhaustthe subject,it is the purpose of thisbriefessay to
filla real lacuna in Rosian studiesby concentrating thosemaximsthat
on
deal withthe fourmost frequently cited themes,namely (1) the sertdo
and the jagunqo, (2) lifeand death, (3) God and the devil, and (4) love
On
and friendship. another level, carefully interwoven intothetext, the
maxims serve five (5) important functions that give the narrativeits
structural and thematicunity.Firstly,by theirsheer frequency,the
maximsestablishtextualcoordinatesby focusingattention the four on
major themesin an otherwiseillusive,ambiguous and ellipticalnovel.
Even forBrazilianreaders,Grande Sertdo:Veredas presentsproblems
of interpretation because of itsconvolutedsyntax and style.Riobaldo is
clearlyaware thathisreader-interlocutor notfully
may understand what
he has to say. "Falo por palavras tortas"(457). But the maximsare very
often couched ina moresuccinct, simpler, easilyaccessiblelanguage,
and
even when theyimplythe unintelligible: "Mas a vida nao 6 entendivel"
(131). Equally important, maximsplay a role of primeimportance
the
in identifying the reader the thread,thefilconducteurof the work,
for
namelythat is a dangerous
life business:"Viver6 neg6ciomuitoperigoso"
(10). Secondly,the aural presence of the silentinterlocutor, Doutor, is
suggestedby the factthatRiobaldo triesto elicita reassuring response
by phrasing maximsveryoftenin theformof a questionand thereby
his
76
3. attemptingreaffirm analysis what taken
to his of has place:"A gente vive
nao 6 caminhando costas?"
de (522). In other situations, he contrasts his
opinions withthoseof hisfriend Quelem6m. Thistechnique further
is
reinforced suchexpressions "O senhor
by as aprova?"(10) or "Senhor
o que acha?"(12). Thirdly, most and importantly, maxims
the represent
a richand variedcompendium sertanejo of folklore wisdomby
and
a
treatinggreat of
variety subjects which givethenarrative itslocal
both
coloras well as itsbroad universal appeal. Fourthly, structurally the
maxims appearas reference in
points theworkto immobilize plot the
in theeternal present whilealluding thepastand future.
to Maxims by
theirvery nature universally therefore, are outsidethe
are true, they
temporal distance theplot:"No realda vida,as coisasacabamcom
of
menos formato, acabam"(79). Fifthly,
nem Guimaraes Rosa effectively
in
usesmaxims a creative oflanguage, irate'o raboda palavra"
use "de
toconvey more than verbal
the As
reality. Jos6 Carlos Garbuglio affirms:
"O mundo6 a palavra"(46). Rosa synthesizes extrapolatesand experi-
ence to createanother in
dimension, verbalmythos the existential
a
dilemmaof being,not unlike othergreatmyth
the makerof Latin-
American literature Gabriel GarciaMarquez.Riobaldoinvents because
"Avidainventa! porque vida6 mutirdo todos, todos
... a de por remexida
e temperada" (430).
Riobaldo narratorona difficult
as is moral quest: "Contar muito,
e6
muito dificultoso" (712).He is attempting unravel mystery his
to the of
experiences amongthe iagunqosin generaland his personalmoral
dilemma, specifically whether devilexists ifso whether has
the and he
signed pactwith
a him.Consequently, desire knowis a desire
his to to
distinguish absolutes, absolute right from absolute wrong, the
and certain
from uncertain. theother
the All themes or
directly indirectly upon
hinge
thisdifferentiation. nottherefore
It is surprising a goodlynumber
that
of maxims, somefifty (50), are devotedto thesertioand theiagunqo,
forthesertdo the
represents allegorical backdropwherethisconflict
takesplace. Butthesertdo physicalas place cannot circumscribed:
be
6
"Sertao semlugar" (331)."O 6
sertdo do tamanho mundo"do (68). It
has neither entrance norexit-"O sertao nao temjanelasnemportas"
(462)-because basically sertdo within
the is man'spsyche, mind-set:
a
6
"Sertao dentro gente"
da (289).The mosttypical characteristicthe
of
sertio as a view of life is both its illusivenatureand its inherent
contradiction: "Sertio6 isto,o senhor sabe: tudoincerto, tudocerto"
6
(146)."O sertao confusio grande em demasiado sossego" (423).Very
oftenRiobaldo reverts personification
to inorder givea familiar
to fixed
form projection that
and to which basically
is amorphous: "Sertionao
6 malino nemcaridoso eletira da,ou agrada amarga, senhor,
... ou ou ao
conforme senhor
o mesmo" (487).The sertdo surrounds challenges
and
man:"Sert'o6 isto: senhor
o empurra tr's,masde repente volta
para ele
a rodearo senhor lados" (267). The sertdo in perpetual
de is agitation
becausewaris constantly its
reshaping violent "A
contortions: guerra era
o constante mexer sertdo,comocomo vento seca6 que as arvores
do e da
se entortammais" (337). In fact,veryoftenin the maximsthe sertio is
compared to the armaments war and violence-"O grande sertio 6
of
77
4. a forte arma, Deus 6 umgatilho" it
(320)--because is associated with the
socialoutcast, criminal:
the "Sertio6 o penal,criminal. Sertao6 onde
homemtemde tera duranuca e mao quadrada"(102). Illusion and
contradiction, beneficence and destruction, are reduced to one
all
nebulous for
confusion, thesertdio generallyignores welfare man
the of
and recognizes absolutes
no other thanitself: sertao sabe s6 por
"O se
alto.Mas, ou ele ajuda,com enorme poder,ou 6 traigoeiro muito de-
sastroso" (497).
Itisthe jagunqo himself best
who incarnates enigmatic
the sertdio-
"Jagungo o sertao"
6 (291)-forhe hassubsumed ruggedness the
the of
localeby hissurvival mentality: "Sertao ondeo pensamento gente
6 da
se forma maisforte que o poderdo lugar"(24). His activities
do are
antithetical theconstraints society, he exercises willby
to of and free
simplybeing what he is, an outlaw:"Ningu6m nunca foi jagungo
obrigado"(538). The jagunqoneeds conflict, challenge and physical
to
hardship define in
himself opposition thenorms socialbehavior:
to of
"Que jagungo amolecequandonao padece" (274).His happiness in lies
constant turmoil, violent movement horseback:
on do
"Alegria jagungo
6 o movimento galopado"(526).In manyways,theJagunqo a stoic is
forwhomgood and evil,right wrong, all reduced an amoral
and are to
neutral stance-"Jagungo, que 6, quase que nuncapensaem reto"
pelo
nao
(257)-because "Jagungo se escabreiacom perda nem derrota-
quase que tudo para ele 6 igual" (52). Unlikethe narrator who is
desperately to
trying sort the"why" "wherefore" hislife,
out and of the
jagunqodoes notreasonwhy, simply he acceptsthegivenas is: "Nao
podendoentender razaoda vida,6 s6 assim se pode serverobom
a que
jagungo" (533). Butlikethenarrator, jagunqois in thetemporal
the in
a solitary "O sertao umaespera
wait: 6 enorme" (538)."Sertio o sozinho"
6
(289).The jagunqo-sertdio encompasses that "O sertao
bond all is: tudo
nao aceita?"(455).In contrast, Riobaldoby hisrationalizingtheoddis
manoutinthis jagunqo-sertiio setting he is trying makesenseout
for to
of,drawa conclusion from pronounce final
and a judgment whathe
on
hasseen, thereader reminded "Quemjulga, morreu"
yet is that ji (251).
Anequal number maxims, fewer
of no than forty-eight are
(48),
devotedto thelife-death cyclebutwith reference thenexus
to sertdio-
jagungo. Riobaldois seeking philosophy lifeand a classical
a of modus
vivendi: 6 que
"Aprender-a-viver 6 o viver, mesmo"(546). Curiously
all
enough thecharacteristics in
evident themaxims the
treating sertido
andthejagunqo alsopresent those
are in maxims addressing thequestion
and in
oflife death general. isillusory-"A
Life gente vive6mesmo para
se desiludir desmisturar"
e (137)-but is ungovernable because of
constant changeand an innate feeling it really
that does notbelongto
us:"A vidada gente setevoltas diz. A vidanem6 da gente"
faz se (145).
Of all thesensations associated with sight speechareespecially
life, and
singled for
out comment: "Poucose vivee muito va" (429).Deathon
se
theother handis realistically identified theolfactory
with sensation: "A
tudo, cheiro morte
o de velha.O mau-fetido vaiterminar
que mazelando
a gente" (330). Butlifeis also a songand speechis itslyrical manifes-
tation-"Tudo, nesta vida 6 muitocantivel" (455)-caught in the
78
5. of
cacaphony constant change turmoil" vida6 umvagovariado"
and "A
(467). Silenceby contrast associated
is with death:"Ficarcalado 6 que
6 falar mortos" Hope anddespair ata continual
nos (43). are tug-of-war:
"A vida 6 ingrata maciode si; mastranstrazesperanqa
no a mesmodo
meiodo feldo desespero" (207).Lifefrequently resembles devil
the more
thanit does God: "A vida 6 muito discordada. Tem partes, temartes.
Tem as neblinas Siruiz.
de Tem as carastodasdo Cao, e as vertentes
do viver"(471). Lifeis thetemporal cannot delayed-"A vida
that be
naodi demora nada"(223)-becauseithasbeenpreordained:
em "Antes
de menino nascer, de suamorte marcada"
hora esti (473).There three
are
that
things lifedemands us-courage,inquisitiveness, goals:"O
of and
correr vida embrulha
da tudo,a vida e6 assim: e
esquenta esfria, aperta
e dai afrouxa, sossegae depoisdesinquieta. que ela querda gente
O 6
coragem"(297). Whatlifeteachesus if anything to pose further is
questions: se
"Vivendo, aprende, o que se aprende,
mas mais6s6 a fazer
outras maiores perguntas" (385-386). is
Beingethical notas difficult as
determining one's goals in life:"O mais dificil nao 6 um ser bom e
proceder honesto; dificultoso, 6
mesmo, umsaberdefinido que quer, o
e tero poderde irat6no raboda palavra" (162-163).
to
Contrary life, deathpresents imperatives it is always
less for
concealed ourpreoccupations the
by with living the and minutiae daily of
life:"Com os vivos6 que a gente escondeos mortos" (339). Nor does
itinvolve struggle; gives
a it itself naturally:
up "Morrer, a
morrer,gente
semluxose cede" (141).It is theinstantaneous without forewarning or
"Um
fright: homem morre que vive, susto instantaneamente"
mais sem de
(543).Thusthejagunqo histaciturnity
by is moreassociated with death
than with itself:
life "Quemvaimorrermatar, e podeter conversa?" (190).
Ironically, as thesertdo
just reverses natural
the order things, does
of so
deathrevealcontrarily intervention God: "A morte o sobrevir
the of 6
de Deus,entornadamente" Alltalkofdeath bytheliving
(305). is about
misfortune is alwayspast:"A morte corisco
that 6 que sempre veio"
ja
6
(200)."A morte paraos que morrem" (223).Lifelikewaris thegiven
thatneedsno further explanation: 6
"Vida,e guerra, o que 6" (214).
Without going far PauloHecker
so as Filhowhoconsiders Grande
Sertdo: Veredas "Fausto
the sertanejo" Brazilian
of literature itcould
(5),
be easily argued that Riobaldo's moral questlyrically addresses key
the
issueof thedevil'sexistence hispersonal
and relationship withhimin
theform a pactin general hispursuit theenemy
of and of Herm6genes
inparticular, latter ultimately causethedeath the
the who will of beloved
Reinaldo-Diadorim.The epigraph"O diabo na rua no meio do
redemoinho" in
repeated thetext thenarrative
of clearly focuses the
on
demonicintercession whattranspires forms secondfilcon-
of and a
in
ducteur thework.No fewer than thirty-seven maxims
(37) alludeto
either devilor God, or both.The ethical
the question invariably leads
toan ontological theological
and if
dilemma; thedevilexists, exists. God
In a seeming contradiction, Riobaldotransposes terms suggest
the to a
playful twist thesubject;
on God exists thedeviltranscends
but existence:
"Deusexiste mesmo quando hI. Maso dem6nio precisa existir
n-o n-o de
parahaver-a gente sabendoque ele nio existe, 6 que ele tomaconta
ai
79
6. de tudo"(56).What is
Riobaldo really is
seeking consent, permission, the
right to possess and to be whathe is: "Se nao temDeus, entdo, gente a
de
nao temlicenga coisanenhuma" (56). Thusthenarrator playsa cat-
and-mouse gamewith reader-interlocutor2
the concerning existence and
non-existence, verysame game thatGod seemsto play withhis
the
creatures thedevil:"E preciso Deus existir gente,
and de a mais6 do
a
diabodivertirgente comsuadelenenhuma existencia" (292).Riobaldo
who by temperament clearlyleans towardsGod's existence, posits,
in
however, middleground an attempt place himself
a to outside the
ontological-theological dilemma: "Nao soudo demoe nao soude Deus"
(461).Throughout maximsthe God and thedevil, absolute goodandits
contrary absoluteevil are depictedin anthropomorphic termsand
metaphorical imagery. devilmanifests
The himself mostly through very
descriptive harsh emotional attitudes in theform Herm6genes's
and of
rugged projectionwhile God's presenceis evidenced by genteel
emotional states moreakinto Diadorim's mannerisms. demonic
The is
physical the
prowess, God-like affective angelic. as thejagungo
and Just
incarnates the characteristics the sertdio, also visually
all of he and
physically reflects devil's
the harshness his
by brute force domination:
and
"Quemvence,6 custoso nao ficar com a cara de dem6nio" (333). But
very often while devil brutal, canbetray: diabo,6 as brutas;
the is God "O
mas Deus 6 traigoeiro!" Of all thesensations
(22). associated withthe
demonic, sight, voyeuristic thefurtive singled for
the and are out special
consideration: diabo vige,diabo quer 6 ver" (510). "O diabo vige
"O
dentro homem, crespos homem-ou 6 o homem
do os do arruinado, ou
o homem avessos"(10). Butwhatprecisely thefeatures the
dos are of
devil's visage? "Maisfeiono dem6nio o nariz os beigos"
6 e (535).God's
physical are in
features neveralludedto directly favorof a positive
description certain
of traits
personality dealing with strong character and
demeanor-aboveall joyand patience: "Deus 6 paciencia. contrario,
O
6 o diabo," (16) or "Deus 6 alegriae coragem-que Ele 6 bondade
adiante"(292). God is alwaysdefinitive whilethedevilis illusive and
evasive: "Deus 6definitivamente; o demo6 o contririo Dele" (39).Ifthe
devilis "doido sem cura"(219),he is no less boorish especially with
regards hiseating
to habits: "Deus come escondido, o diabo sai por
e
todapartelambendo prato" o (52). Falsehoods thedevilform
and one
in their reproduction-"retorce que os falsissimos demo se repro-
do
duzem"(346)-but thebountifulnesstheearth's of harvests a reflec-
are
tion whoandwhat
of A
God is:"Deuse umaplantaCgo. gente-6 areias" as
(318).The concept knowledge general therelationship man
of in and of
to God in particular requires a habitof memory: "At6para a gente se
lembrar Deus, carecede se teralgumcostume"
de (144). AndifGod
inhisinfinite wisdom knows whathe knows-"O que Deus sabe,Deus
sabe" (133)-what we can knowof God can onlybe through interme-
diaries: "Deus escritura os livros-mestres" Therefore can
s6 (326). God
in
be interpreted diverse waysevenin man'svariedand contradictory
beliefsbecause he is in everything: "Deus esti em tudo-conforme a
crena" (291).Man'sfeewillis simply illusion inthefinal
an for analysis
it is God who callsall theshots: "Deus 6 que deixaafinar vontade
a o
80
7. instrumento, que cheguea hora de se dangar"(289). Riobaldo's
at6
concluding on
remarks thedevilfittingly correspond theconclusion
to
ofthenarrative hismoral
and ordeal. The devilas a distinct realityand
absolute outside man's consciousness notexist.
does Likeman,thedevil
is a passage-"travessia": "0 Diabo nao existe . . . se for . . . Existe 6
homem humano. Travessia" (568).AndwhatofGod? He exists only but
inthegooddeedsandmisdeeds men.The cycleis complete Rosa
of and
simply poses thequestion anew:"Que Deus existe, sim,devagarinho,
depressa. existe
Ele mas quase s6 porinterm6dio ago das pessoas:
da
de bonse maus"(320).
Of thefour major themes in
treated themaxims, nonehasstirred
moreinterest thanthe love-friendship dichotomy, and none explains
morecogently whyGrandeSertdo: Veredasis uniquein thecanonof
Brazilian literature. fact, other
In the three themes intimately
are con-
necteddirectly indirectly Riobaldo's
and with attraction Reinaldo-
for
the
Diadorim, boy-man, man-woman, jagungo-beauty with
duality allthe
moral esthetic
and of and
implications androgyny bisexuality. Riobaldo's
questif nothing is an attempt determine
else to whether physical
his
attraction Reinaldo-Deadorima manifestationan allegedpact
for is of
withthedevil.The amorous dilemma be reduced thetwofaces
can to
of love,"amor" and "amizade." One is a foilfortheother: "Amor vem
de amor"(23). ButRiobaldorefuses accepthisbisexual
to orientation
becauseitis diametrically opposedto therugged, super machocode of
behaviorof the jagungo.The thirty (30) maxims treating love and
friendship revealGuimaraes Rosa as a true heirofa rich Iberian lyrical
tradition where medieval
the cantiga amigofuses
de with pastorela
the
in an emotional disguise. WhatRiobaldofeelsforDiadorim either has
no namebecause"Muitacoisa importante nome"(102);or else it
falta
daresnotspeakitsname,foritis something morethanfriendship and
closer passionate
to love:"Ah,a flor amortemmuitos
do nomes" (178).
At leastone critic, notably Paulo HeckerFilhoposits "homosexuality"
as themaintheme thenovelbutconsiders workflawed
of the because
theauthor chooses circumvent realsubject opting a toofacile
to the by for
denouement In revealing
(5). Diadorim be a woman,
to HeckerFilho
believes that narrative distorted lacksverisimilitude, one
the is and but
is reminded "O amors6 mente
that paradizermaior verdade"(455).It
is intheclassical definition "amigo" "amante" one perceives
of and that
two paralleldevelopments. first theGreekconceptof a virile,
The is
fraternitycombat-"Amigo o bragoe o ago" (168)--contrasting
of era
witha more genteeland pastoraldisquietude love disguisedas of
friendship: "Amizade dada 6 amor" (146-147).The unlikely locus
amoenus thesertdo
of gives rise only a budding
not to romance between
jagungos a specialrelationship equals,soulmates:
but of "Amigo, para
mim, so isto: a pessoacomquema gente
6 6 de do
gosta conversar, igual
o igual, desarmado" (168).
The characteristics "amor"and "amizade"get confused
of as
Riobaldocrosses threshold platonic
the of love to passionate love.Just
as the boy Reinaldo and the jagunco Diadorim introduceRiobaldo to
beauty as reflectedin the waterways,floraand fauna of the sertio, so
81
8. too does the"amigo"developintothe"amante." The thought the of
belovedevokesan instantaneous of
outpouring emotion: "Mas,pensar
a
na pessoa que se ama, 6 como quererficar beirad'agua,esperando
que o riacho, alguma hora, pousoso esbarre correr"
de (337).IfRiobaldo
has recourse metaphor describing passionforDiadorim, is
to in his it
becauseall love demands comparison: "Todo amornao 6 uma especie
de comparago?"(147). Suffering thesinequa nonof love because
is
although love is a little of healthand a respite
bit frommadness-
"Qualquer amorji 6 umpouquinho sauide, descanso loucura"
de um na
(291)-it is no lessa little ofgrief pain:"Porqued6 de amizade
bit and
6 numsofrezinho simples" in
(203).Often themaxims Riobaldoalludes
to animals contrast natural
to the inclination physical
of love withthe
socially acceptable constraints conjugal
of bonding: amor?Pissaro
"O
que poe ovosde ferro" Loveproduces unforeseen uncovers
(56). the and
thehidden: "Amizade amorsurpreende senais almada gente,
de uns da
a qual 6 arraial escondido detrisde seteserras?"
por (437).The homo-
eroticnatureof the love-friendship themeis suggested double by
entendre couchedin animal of
metaphors expansion: 6
"Amor assim-
6
o rato saidumburaquinho:umratazao, umtigre
que 6 leao! (399).Love
transforms thelover thebeloved,
both and often encompassing contrary
emotions and abilities: "que se temepor amor;mas que, por amor,
tambe6m, a coragem faz"(426).Lovekeepsoneyoung-"O amor
e6que se
geral a
conserva mocidade" in
(491)-but alsoitsproximity theold may
sidetrack and delay: "Amorem perto"s vezes sossega,em muitos
adiamentos-aohomem brancabarba"(435).Love can be destruc-
da
tiveinspite itself: amor6 isso:o que bem quere mal faz" (514).
of "E
While loveturns backonallreprobation-"O
its amor as costas toda
da a
reprovaCgo" (437)-yet theloverremains alwaysa disobedient slave:
"Quem ama 6 sempre muito escravomas nao obedece nuncade ver-
dade" (516).
Love callsus inquiet, hushed tones: "Quieto, muito quietoe que
a gente chamao amor; comoemquieto coisaschamam gente"
as a (433).
Butoncelost, lovealways leavesanindelible in
mark theform anopen of
wound-"D6i sempre gente, na algumavez, todo amorachivel,que
algumdia se desprezou" (488)-for thejoysof love are invariably ac-
companied remorse: amor, de si,6 algum
by "O ji arrependimento" (38).
Love turns thoughts all speechto itsowngalloping
all and imperatives:
"Quandose viaja varadoavante, sentado quente,
no acaba o coximda
sela falade amores" (489).Finally, crystallizationlovecausesthe
the of
for
loverto overlook flaws character, "S6 se pode viver
all of pertode
outro, conhecer
e outra pessoa, semperigo odio,se a gente amor"
de tem
(291). The "amigo-amante" in
relationship facthas no definitive terms
and defies explanation justification liketheother
and just three themes
under discussion: "Amigo-6que a gente seja,massemprecisar saber de
o porque 6 que 6" (168).
Inconclusion, didactic
the scopeofGuimaraes Rosa'smasterpiece
hasbeenseento focus four on mainthemes revealed themaxims.
as in
More specifically, Riobaldo'spersonal moralquestis seen to revolve
around sexualattraction Reinaldo-Diadorim hissubsequent
his for and
82
9. failure consummating love bond:"Quemvai em caga,perdeo
in that
que nao acha" (258).On another level,Riobaldo's longnarrative repre-
sents verbalattempt restore
a to Diadorim lifeifonlyvicariously
to in
hisinjured memory andthereby together contrary ofsexual
join the ends
identity fulfillment:
and "Comose,tudorevendo, eu
refazendo, pudesse
receber outra o que naotenha
vez tido,
repor Diadorim vida?"(561).
em
"Viver"joins"contar" as "cantar"
just form
and "non-entendivel" the
unifying threads Riobaldo's
of lovesong. The maxims not
crystallize just
the narrator's moraldilemmabut man's fate;on the one hand,his
obsessive desire differentiate from andonthe
to good evil, other, futile
his
attempt uncover fixed
to any moral guidelines: carego que o bom
"Eu de
seja bome o ruim ruim. Queroos todospostos demarcados" (206).The
reader must imagine as of and
Riobaldo a sort Sisyphus Orpheus, forever
his
recounting lyrical in
adventure an attempt recoupa lostlove and
to
fathom complex weighty
the and enigmatic modesof human behavior
and memory. Narration becomesa passage,
thus "travessia." to
Finally,
paraphrase Riobaldosententiously: 6 muito
contar moral.
StateUniversity Plattsburgh
College,
NOTES
1. I haveidentified hundred sixty-one
four and (461)statements couldbe
that
considered in a
maxims thebroadsenseoftheword,treating great variety
of themes.
between narrator the
analysis therelationship
2. For an excellent of the and
reader, Luiz Fernando
see Valente.
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Atica,
Nunes, Benedito. Dorso do Tigre. Paulo:Perspectiva,
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Vincent, Guimaraies
Jon. Rosa. Boston:Twayne, 1978.
83