This paper aims at analysing Machado de Assis's short story "Ernesto de tal", in the social and historical perspective. The comparison between both versions of the short story will also be studied; the first one published in Jornal das Famílias, and the second one published in the book Histórias da meia-noite. The comparison between the two versions of the short story will help us to think about the way Machado created and rewrote his texts.
Machado de Assis; short story; historical perspective; genetic criticism
