Gender

Joaquim Maria Marchado de Assis a well-known Brazilian writer “expanded the possibilities of realism, exploring the complex psychology and social structures of modern urban life” (Puchner 911). Typically, nineteenth century literature depicted male characters as the powerful figures. Conversely, in his story “The Rod of Justice,” Marchado de Assis uses a female character as the one who holds the power.

The story begins with a young man Damiao running away from his life at the seminary. Not knowing where to go, he analyzes his choices: his father will thump him and send him back, and his godfather was the one who took him to the seminary, so certainly, he cannot go to either of them. Damiao suddenly thinks of where to go: “I’ll go beg Sinha Rita to protect me!” (Marchado de Assis 912). Sinha Rita is a widowed woman and his godfather’s mistress. He knows she can help. Although she says she cannot help; Damiao convinces her she can: “You can do a great deal, Sinha Rita (Marchado de Assis 912). Once she agrees to help, she tells him she can talk to the godfather: “Well, I’ll show him where he’ll pay attention or not” (Marchado de Assis 913). Indeed, Sinha Rita is more powerful than she first lets on.

Once the godfather arrives, Sinha Rita does not mince words. She tells him to go talk to the boy’s father and convince him his son is not fit for ecclesiastical life: “Keep after him; he’ll give in. Get along, Joao Carneiro, your godson is not going back to the seminary. I tell you, he is not going back” (Marchado de Assis 914). Sinha Rita displays her power in how she speaks to the godfather; she is not afraid to tell him what she thinks or what he needs to do.

Even though Damiao is still worried about the godfather’s influence and his father’s decision, Sinha Rita assures him she will take care of it: “They’ll find out what I’m made of! No, I won’t stand for foolishness!” (Marchado de Assis 916). Damiao realizes he needs to listen to her and be patient.

The story closes with one of Rita’s slaves not finishing her work. Even though Damiao tells himself he will protect her (earlier, she stops working to listen and laugh at one of his stories), he knows he cannot upset Sinha Rita. Fully realizing her influence, he knows she is the one who can truly help him escape a life of misery. In the end, his allegiance to the mistress wins out: “Damiao was pricked by an uneasy sense of guilt, but he wanted so much to get out of the seminary! He reached the settee, picked up the rod, and handed it to Sinha Rita” (Marchado de Assis 916). In order to fulfill his wish and leave the seminary for good, Damiao does not listen to his own conscience and help the slave girl. Instead, he hands Sinha Rita the justice rod, so she can beat her worker. Her powerful influence triumphs. Indeed, Sinha Rita, a forty-year old widow, mistress, and employee, is not a typical woman. She holds the power and knows how to control all the people in her life, including the men: Damiao’s father, godfather, and Damiao himself.  

Works Cited

Marchado De Assis, Joaquim Maria. “The Rod of Justice.” Trans. Helen Caldwell. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Ed. Martin Puchner et al. Shorter 3rd ed. Vol. 2. New York: W.W. Norton, 2013. 911-916. Print.

Puchner, Martin, Gen ed. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Shorter Third ed. Vol. 2. New York: W.W. Norton, 2013. Print.