74 pages • 2 hours read
Dom Casmurro
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Themes
The Torments of Jealousy
At the heart of Dom Casmurro is an exploration of the dangers and torments of jealousy. Throughout the novel, Bento presents a fixed interpretation of Capitú and her actions, crafting a narrative that is aprioristic in nature. In Chapter 72, “A Dramatic Reform,” Bento suggests that dramas should begin at the end, exposing the concluding events, and only then exploring the leading causes. This proposition mirrors Bento’s own approach in Dom Casmurro, where he establishes with conviction Capitú’s infidelity and then narrates events in his past that specifically support this notion. As Bento recounts the birth, flowering, and failure of their love affair, he inadvertently reveals how his jealous and controlling nature destroyed his domestic life.
While the first chapters explore the beginning of Bento and Capitú’s connection, Bento, as the narrator, interjects to cast a shadow of suspicion over seemingly naïve interactions. Bento’s criticism of Capitú’s adolescent behavior suggests that his understanding of her has evolved over time. He links Capitú’s ability to compose herself under pressure to a talent for deception: “There are things that one learns late. One must be born with them to do them early” (31, emphasis added). His rhetoric aims to assert that the adult, unfaithful Capitú was always inherent within her young self, “like the fruit within its rind” (240). The inescapability of this conclusion forms the basis for his observations and later suspicions of infidelity.
Intertextuality further highlights the intensity of Bento’s jealousy and internal strife. While early critics of Dom Casmurro predominantly aligned with Bento‘s narrative, assuming Capitú’s infidelity, Helen Caldwell‘s pioneering work, The Brazilian Othello of Machado De Assis (1960), marked a shift. Caldwell explained an intertextual layer in Machado’s references to Shakespeare‘s Othello. Bento identifies with Othello, projecting his own predicament onto the character, leading him to see parallels between Othello‘s jealousy and his own. In this distorted perspective, Bento deems Desdemona‘s fate fitting not just for her but also for Capitú. Bento’s fixation on Othello overlooks the irony of this connection: Othello falsely accuses Desdemona of adultery, and lives to bitterly regret his jealous nature. Bento, lost in his own jealous haze, fails to recognize the tragedy of his own destroyed family.
By the novel’s close, Bento is an isolated, reclusive figure who refuses all meaningful connection with others. He has lost all the ties that shaped his life: Escobar is dead and Bento cannot cherish his memory; Capitú has died while still estranged from her husband; his only child Ezekiel is also dead, and Bento claims to feel nothing but relief. In this way, Dom Casmurro suggests that excessive jealousy and a desire for control lead only to loss and self-destruction.
Perception and the Nature of Truth
One of the most important elements in Dom Casmurro is the novel’s use of an unreliable narrator, Bento, to tell the story of his life. In the opening chapter, Bento advises readers not to consult dictionaries for a definition of his nickname, omitting how the Portuguese term “casmurro” denotes stubbornness, obstinacy, and suspicion. This initial omission establishes a pattern for Bento‘s narrative approach, where he presents his perspective as definitive and unquestionable even though there are many hints that Bento’s perception is frequently unreliable and colored by his own biases.
Despite Bento’s assertion that his book holds “the absolute truth” (109), contradictions and uncertainties embedded within his own speech compromise the stability of his account. Bento relies on his memory as the primary source of information, repeatedly emphasizing its accuracy. Despite being over 40 years removed from the events, he delves into extensive details about characters‘ demeanor, intentions, and longings, at times struggling to recall even the clothes he wore the day before (110). At other moments, Bento admits to his memory’s shortcomings. He confesses to being easily swayed by his imagination and daydreams, remarking, “Daydreams are like other dreams, they weave themselves on the pattern of our inclinations and memories” (55, emphasis added), and he confesses in Chapter 59 that he can actually be prone to forgetfulness. These contradictions even in Bento’s own view of his memory and recall emphasize the subjective and unstable nature of his memories.
Bento’s narrative also raises questions about perspective. Rather than being neutral and objective, his account is inherently deceitful in its promise to provide an unequivocal answer to Capitú’s infidelity, as no such hard evidence exists. As a seasoned lawyer, Bento approaches the alleged infidelity as a case to be argued. He presents Capitú’s interactions and his interpretations of her character to corroborate his claim of her unfaithfulness. The gaps in Bento‘s narrative are not just omissions but a deliberate choice that aligns with his objective—proving Capitú was unfaithful. However, he never actually catches Capitú and Escobar behaving improperly with one another, and Capitú strenuously denies that she has ever been unfaithful when he confronts her. The absence of evidence means that the main mark against Capitú is merely Bento’s own jealous nature and what he assumes about her. At the same time, other aspects of Capitú’s behavior that Bento casually mentions—e.g., her anxiety to please him and willingness to change her behavior to pacify him, her various attempts to reconcile with him in her letters from abroad—further suggest that Bento’s pronouncements about Capitú may not be entirely accurate.
By including narrative elements that challenge or undermine Bento‘s account, Machado rejects the convention of a singular, authoritative narrative voice. Rather than providing a straightforward tale of adultery, Machado creates room for various interpretations, suggesting that no individual subjective viewpoint can ever offer a full and entirely truthful account of events.
Societal Pressures and Individual Autonomy
Bento’s world is shaped by strong societal pressures that determine class, family, and gender dynamics. Throughout the novel, Bento and the other characters must navigate these dynamics as they attempt to find a balance between societal expectations and their own individual desire for autonomy.
In Bento’s staunchly hierarchical society, enslavement is still practiced and lower-class characters are also vulnerable to the whims of their social superiors. José Dias, as someone dependent upon the patronage of the Santiago family, recognizes the importance of upholding a specific image and reputation. He ingratiates himself with the family while strategically pursuing his self-interest. A subtle example is his manipulation of Bento’s plea for assistance, which he attempts to use to fulfill his long-cherished dream of traveling to Europe, as he has neither the means nor the opportunity to go independently. Similarly, Capitú and her family are regarded with suspicion by José Dias and Cousin Justina largely because they belong to a lower social class: They imply that she is morally suspect and that she is not a proper match for Bento. People like Capitú must thus grapple with these hierarchical biases when seeking to build the lives they wish to lead.
In his adolescent years, Bento’s main conflict is between his yearning for autonomy and the predetermined path his mother set for him. His mother’s promise to commit him to the priesthood interferes with both his preference for a secular vocation and hampers the romantic connection he wishes to pursue with Capitú. As an only child in a traditional upper-class family, Bento must tread carefully to facilitate his escape from the seminary, as open defiance against his mother is seemingly impossible. Capitú also recognizes this family pressure, seeking to win over Capitú’s mother in the hopes that she will soften towards the idea of Bento marrying and starting a family. While the couple gets their way in the end, they only succeed in doing so by balancing their individual desires with the will of the family.
Gender dynamics are also central to the novel, shaping the power imbalance between Capitú and Bento. When young, Capitú exhibits a spirited defiance, fearlessly expressing her thoughts and often confronting Bento or offering him advice. In Chapter 33, “The Combing of the Braids,” although Bento attempts to assert control by braiding her hair, it is Capitú who orchestrates their first kiss, challenging traditional gender norms. However, their dynamic undergoes a significant transformation after marriage, tilting the balance of power more decisively towards Bento. Marriage relegates Capitú to a state of financial and social dependence on her husband. She adjusts her behavior and dress to conform to Bento’s desires. When Bento accuses her of infidelity and banishes her to Europe, Capitú is powerless to dissuade him, and her attempts at reconciliation are rebuffed. Her lonely death in exile thus embodies the vulnerability and complexities of an individual caught in a social order in which they have little control.
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By Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis
