Abstract:
In general, the analysis of characters of African descent in Machado de Assis has concentrated on protagonists or secondary actors, persons who play a significant role in the plots or themes of his fictional texts. But more peripheral blacks, normally humble slaves and often domestic servants, also deserve scholars' attention. Such characters, who are comparable to the "extras" appearing in cinematic productions, contribute a sense of realism to the settings, almost as if they were pieces of furniture. But in Machado, they also invite the reader to extract them from the background, in order to perceive the unjust attitudes of their owners, and the severe asymmetries of a slaveholding society.
Keywords:
Machado de Assis
;
novel
;
short story
;
characters of African descent
;
critical reading