Dom Casmurro
An 1899 Brazilian realist novel about jealousy and unreliable narration.
via Wikipedia: Cultural references to Othello · see source
Widely regarded as a masterpiece of realist literature, *Dom Casmurro* is an 1899 novel by Brazilian author Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis. It is written as a fictional memoir by a distrusting, jealous husband, and its narrator is not reliable, as the work is a dark comedy. The protagonist, Bento Santiago, recounts his story in the first person, aiming to connect his youth with his present old age. The plot follows his youthful reminiscences, his time at a seminary, his affair with Capitolina (Capitu), and the jealousy that becomes the central conflict. Set in Rio de Janeiro during the Second Reign, the novel opens with the narrator being nicknamed "Dom Casmurro." Machado de Assis employed literary devices such as irony and intertextuality, referencing Schopenhauer and Shakespeare's *Othello*. Critic Afrânio Coutinho called it a true Brazilian masterpiece and perhaps the country's greatest representative piece of writing, as well as one of the best books ever written in the Portuguese language. The author is considered a master of Brazilian literature with a unique style of realism. Over the years, the novel has been the subject of numerous studies and interpretations, from psychological and psychoanalytical criticism in the 1930s and 1940s, through feminist literary criticism in the 1970s, to sociological approaches in the 1980s and beyond. Credited as a forerunner of Modernism and of ideas later written by Sigmund Freud, the book influenced writers such as John Barth, Graciliano Ramos, and Dalton Trevisan. It is considered by some to be Machado's masterpiece, on a par with *The Posthumous Memoirs of Brás Cubas*.
- field
- Literature
- nationality
- Brazilian
- known_for
- Masterpiece of realist literature; narrator's unreliability; themes of jealousy
- author
- Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis
Quick Facts
- Author
- Machado de Assis
- Language
- Portuguese
- Country
- Brazil
- Genre
- Psychological realism, impressionism
- Published
- 1899 (1st Brazilian edition), Livraria Garnier, Rio de Janeiro
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Dom Casmurro is narrated in the first person by Bento Santiago, a 54-year-old lawyer who seeks to 'tie together the two ends of life' by recounting his youth. The story begins with the narrator explaining his nickname, 'Dom Casmurro,' given by a 'train poet' and popularized by neighbors who found his habits taciturn. Bento then recalls his childhood, his time at the seminary, his affair with Capitu, and the jealousy that arises from that relationship, which becomes the main plot. The novel is set in Rio de Janeiro during the Second Reign and uses literary devices such as irony and intertextuality, making references to Schopenhauer and Shakespeare's Othello.
Reader's Guide
Dom Casmurro is considered a fundamental work in Brazilian literature, described by critic Afrânio Coutinho as 'a true Brazilian masterpiece, and perhaps Brazil's greatest representative piece of writing' and 'one of the best books ever written in the Portuguese language, if not the best one to date.' The novel has been the subject of numerous studies and interpretations, from psychological and psychoanalytical criticism in the 1930s and 1940s, through feminist literary criticism in the 1970s, to sociological approaches in the 1980s and beyond. Credited as a forerunner of Modernism and of ideas later written by Sigmund Freud, the book influenced writers such as John Barth, Graciliano Ramos, and Dalton Trevisan. Its themes of jealousy, Capitu's ambiguity, the moral portrait of the time, and the character of the narrator have kept it a subject of debate, particularly regarding the authenticity of the adultery, with some seeing it as a detective novel where the reader must investigate the narrator's point of view.
Did You Know?
- The novel makes references to Schopenhauer and Shakespeare's Othello.
- Critic Afrânio Coutinho called it 'a true Brazilian masterpiece, and perhaps Brazil's greatest representative piece of writing'.
- The book is credited as a forerunner of Modernism and of ideas later written by Sigmund Freud.
- The narrator's nickname 'Dom Casmurro' was given by a 'train poet' and popularized by neighbors.
- The novel influenced writers such as John Barth, Graciliano Ramos, and Dalton Trevisan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Dom Casmurro?
Dom Casmurro is the title character and first-person narrator of an 1899 Brazilian novel by Machado de Assis. He presents himself as a husband consumed by jealousy over his wife Capitães, yet his account is deliberately unreliable, leaving readers unable to confirm whether his suspicions are justified.
Who wrote Dom Casmurro and when was it published?
The novel was written by Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis and published in 1899. It is frequently ranked alongside The Posthumous Memoirs of Brás Cubas as one of the author's two supreme achievements.
What is the plot of Dom Casmurro?
A man narrates his courtship and marriage to Capitães, then slowly builds a case that she is carrying another man's child and is unfaithful to his close friend Bento. The entire work functions as a dark comedy of jealousy in which the reader can never be certain whether the narrator's fears reflect reality or his own paranoia.
Is the narrator in Dom Casmurro reliable?
No—the novel is constructed so that the narrator's recollections are openly self-serving and riddled with jealousy, making his account fundamentally untrustworthy. This deliberate unreliability is a defining feature of the book and a signature element of Machado de Assis's realist technique.
Why is Dom Casmurro considered important in world literature?
It is widely regarded as a masterpiece of Brazilian realist fiction and a landmark of world literature for its pioneering use of an unreliable first-person narrator. Its sustained exploration of ambiguity, jealousy, and the limits of human perception has kept it a central text in literary study to this day.
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