Analysis and meaning of the Conto Missa do Galo by Machado de Assis
O conto "Missa do Galo", by Machado de Assis, was originally published in 1893, being depois included in the work Recolhidos Pages, em 1899. It is about a brief narrative, passed in only space, only with two relevant characters; Contudo, this is one of the two most famous texts by the author.
Summary of entanglement
Nogueira, or narrator, remarks a noite of his youth and a conversation that he sees as a woman most velha, Conceição. Years ten years ago, he left Mangaratiba for Rio de Janeiro, as he intended to conclude his preparatory studies. He was lodged at the home of Meneses, who had been married as a cousin and handcuffed as a second child.
Every week, Meneses said he would go to the theater and commit adulthood, something that everyone at home knew: sogra, Nogueira and tied up with his own woman. Or narrator, if you are still in school during the period of school holidays, you chose to go to Rio de Janeiro during or Natal to attend the court missa do galo. I have combined with a vizinho that I would agree to go together at the missa, Nogueira fica waiting and reading in the room.
Nessa noite, Meneses has gone to meet as a lover and Conceição, agreed on a late hour, emerged in the room and began to talk as a young man. Falam on various topics and Nogueira ends up losing the noção do tempo and esquecendo da missa. A conversation ends when or vizinho abruptly hits no glass of janela, chamando or narrator and seeding his commitment.
Analysis and interpretation of the story
This is a narrated in the first person, through which Nogueira remembers or briefly met with Conceição, which left a strong lembrança but also to dúvida about what houve between the two naquela noite.
Logo in the first sentence, “I could never understand the conversation that you have as a senhora, many years ago, contava eu dezessete, ela trinta. " o leitor and informed about the cryptic and mysterious nature of he found.
Tempo da ação
A retrospective narration, telling events that take place not passed. We do not know that the narrator or the narrator has no time when he grows up, just that he is an adult and continues to question the intentions of Conceição naquela noite.
His memory of him seems to be missing in relation to various details of the episode, starting from his own date, since he refers to it as being on the eve of Natal in "1861 or 1862".
Space for action
Ação decorre in Rio de Janeiro, where it was located in Corte. Everything that is told to us happens at Meneses' house, more specifically in the room. A descrição aponta for a bourgeois house, decorated with sofas, armchairs and couches. You have two pictures of feminine figures, one of them Cleópatra, which seems to confer space on a certain climate of life that contrasts with the supposed purity of Conceição.
This is the own woman who calls attention to this event, saying that she "preferred two images, two saints" and that none of her own will be "in the family home". Also, we can interpret the pictures in terms of symbols of the desire of Conceição, repressed by the pressões da society.
Conceição e Meneses: marriage and social conventions
Or casal, who lived as a sogra e duas escravas, acolheu Nogueira when he moved to Rio de Janeiro. A family lived second "costumes velhos": "For ten hours, all the people were in bed; After all, I went home asleep ”.
Living second morais principles traditional and conservative, common at the time, or casal reproduces unfair and sexist behavior. Meneses tinha a lover, as he met weekly, and his wife Tinha who resigned himself and oiled the traição drained, so as not to cause scandal.
We know very little about Meneses, além das suas indiscrições from him as a separate woman. About Conceição, we know that she was left sozinha on the eve of Natal, that her husband decided to spend her as a lover. Maybe hair weighs from date, or because of tiredness and trouble with the situation, she decides to approach Nogueira, embora or adultery not to be concretized.
It confirms, however, to frieza de seu casamento and a vontade implicit of being involved as another homem, that It is verified depois, when Meneses dies of apoplexy and Conceição marries as his own sworn.
Conceição e Nogueira: suggestions of desire and eroticism
Or dialogue between you two
Enquanto Nogueira lia Dom Quixote and waiting for mass time, Conceição appears in the room, he sat in front for the perguntou "Você gosta de romances?". A questão, apparently innocent, could I charge um hidden meaning, Probability that it seems every time more forte as unrolling the conversation.
Começaram for failing to release the issues so that they happen in a little random way, how do you know what really matters will continue to be there, together. How did the dialogue work as an excuse for partilharem that moment of intimidation.
When the narrator got his hands on the falava higher, the logo said “Mais low! Mom can agree. ”, Confirming or climate of secrecy e of some perigo that runs, it would not be appropriate for a married woman to be talking with a young man at night.
Or latent desire
Despite his inexperience and visible confusion about what was happening, Nogueira repaired that the Conceição did not throw you back. And also that "from time to time when I went to the language of hairs beiços, para umedecê-los", an insinuating gesture that he could not ignore.
Through the narration, we see that the Olhar de Nogueira was also fixed to the woman of Meneses, attentive to every movement. Admire every detail: o balanço do seu corpo ao walk, os seus braços, tied "o bico das chinelas", possible metaphor for os seus seios. Before, or Conceição's face was "medium, nem pretty nem feio", she suddenly she "she ficou pretty, she ficou pretty".
We assist transformation of Conceição Aos olhos de Nogueira, who deixou de vê-la as "holy" and passes to face her as an attractive mulher, who or "fazia escer a missa e a igreja".
Or I found that vizinho hair was interrupted, that bateu no vidro da janela chamando Nogueira for missa do galo. Já na igreja, or the narrator, did not manage to understand what he has lived: "the figure of Conceição interposed-se more than once, between my father or myself."
Not the next day, the agiu normally, "natural, benign, I know nothing that is supposed to bring about the conversation on the eve", as I know nothing daquilo has been real.
Meaning of "Missa do Galo": Machado de Assis e o Naturalismo
In this count, you see naturalistic influences: preferring psychological descriptions to the detriment of physical ones, exploring sexuality and sexuality. human psyche, its hidden qualities and behaviors that are not socially essential.
Embora or conto treat, in some form, or subject of adulthood (not only from Meneses with a lover but also from Conceição with Nogueira), or the only physical contact between the two was a slight touch not ombro.
In this way, I do not wish that I felt another hair; or what is relevant here or what really happened, but or what could have happened.
Machado de Assis, is not quite peculiar style, sacred and profane counterpart, vontade e prohibição, carnal desire and moral commitment in an exquisite way. Assim, makes this text apparently simple thematic (two people talking, during a night) a narrative loaded with symbologies. By all accounts, "Missa do Galo" continues to be one of the two most famous writings by the author.
Personagens principais
Nogueira He was a studious, shy and solitary young man, who occupied or seu tempo with "books, few relationships, some passeios". It is evident from his attraction to him that the woman of Meneses, but also to his inexperience, that he does not know how to attack in the sudden proximity between them.
Divided between or means to disrespect Conceição and or wish that I sit for her, Nogueira reveals himself confused about two events daquela noite, never checking to know as true intentions da mulher.
Conceição She was known as “a saint”, some with “a moderate temperament, extreme extremes, nem big tears, nem big laughs”. Aware of the traições of her husband, she appears to take advantage of a night of missa do galo in the absence of Meneses to approach Nogueira, or a teenager who was staying at her house.
Not the next day, or her behavior turned to habitual, as she was or found and intimidated from the previous night, it never happened. After the death of the husband, Conceição returned to marry.
Leia "Missa do Galo" na in full
O count of Machado de Assis já é Domínio Público e is available in PDF format.
Take the opportunity to know other works by the author:
- Livro Memórias Posthumas de Brás Cubas
- Livro Dom Casmurro, by Machado de Assis
- Conto A cartomante, by Machado de Assis
- Livro Quincas Borba, by Machado de Assis
- Livro O Alienista, by Machado de Assis
- The most famous works of Machado de Assis
- You are told by Machado de Assis that you need to know
- Machado de Assis: life, work and characteristics
- Livro Helena, by Machado de Assis
