This article aims at studying Mrs. Oswald, a character of the novel A mão e a luva, written by Machado de Assis, considering the presence of this character - the governess - in the English novels, producing an association with the lodger's tradition in the Brazilian society, and, thereafter, in Machado de Assis' literature. Furthermore, this study intents to detect the implications of this specific figure in the novel under study.
A mão e a luva; novel; Brazilian literature; governess; English literature