Decolonise Your Bookshelf with the Legacy of Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis

Cheryl Ezekiel

Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis is a towering figure in Brazilian literature and an essential voice in rethinking the global literary canon. One of the nation’s most celebrated literary pioneers, Machado is printed on Brazil’s 1000 Cruzados banknote and postal stamps. He was further honoured as the first President of the Brazilian Academy of Letters. Here is why you should care about him.

Born in 1839 in Rio de Janeiro to a poor, mixed-race family, Machado’s ascent to literary stardom was nothing short of extraordinary. He defied the racial and social hierarchies of a deeply stratified, colonial Brazil, crafting works that remain both universal and uniquely reflective of his context. Despite his immense contributions, his legacy is often framed within narrow nationalistic terms, overlooking his relevance to broader de-colonial narratives.

Machado de Assis grew up in a Brazil where slavery was still prevalent—abolished in 1888, almost 50 years after his birth — and one that bore the scars of its colonial past. His mixed-race heritage and humble status placed him at the margins of a society that privileged whiteness and wealth. Despite these barriers, Machado’s intellect and talent forged a path forward. Primarily self-taught, he mastered French and English and immersed himself in European literature, which would later influence his writing.

Machado’s position as a man of mixed heritage in a colonially structured society was complex. As he achieved prominence, his work was often confined to elite Brazilian literary circles, obscuring his subtle critiques of the very structures that enabled his rise.

Machado’s work spans many genres, from poetry and plays to novels, but he is best known for his prose, particularly the novels of his later years.

His most celebrated works; Memórias Póstumas de Brás Cubas (The Posthumous Memoirs of Brás Cubas, 1881) and Dom Casmurro (1899) are notably modern in their narrative techniques and thematic depth. 

The Posthumous Memoirs of Brás Cubas is a satirical masterpiece narrated by a dead man recounting his life with striking wit and irony. The novel derails from traditional storytelling by relaying the story through an unreliable narrator whose reflections expose the hypocrisies and moral decay of Brazil’s elite. Machado finds humour in the darkness and conveys a powerful message about colonialism. Through Brás Cubas, he critiques the imperialist and hierarchical strata of his society, showcasing a fierce commentary on colonial legacies.

Dom Casmurro explores themes of jealousy, power and betrayal while subtly questioning the dynamics of race, gender and class. The ambiguity surrounding Capitu, one of the novel’s main characters, has sparked endless debates, but her character also invites a deeper exploration of how societal prejudices shape perceptions of women, particularly those of mixed heritage.

Decolonising Machado de Assis

To place Machado in a de-colonial framework is to uncover the ways his work challenges the cultural dominance of Europe while simultaneously engaging with it and inevitably absorbing its influence.

Although his work mirrored European literary traditions, his writing reflects a unique Brazilian sensibility shaped by the country’s racial and social complexities, revealing colonialism through his eyes and experience. 

Machado’s use of irony and ambiguity can be seen as a form of resistance against colonial narratives seeking to impose absolute truths. By lavishing in the grey area by refusing to offer clear moral resolutions or definitive character judgments, he undermines the dominance of singular authoritative thought and invites readers to question inherited hierarchies. 

His position as a mixed-race writer navigating predominantly white literary circles, whilst finding success in gaining recognition in these said circles, highlights the duality of resistance and conformity often required of colonised communities. 

Machado’s relative obscurity outside of Brazil is a thought provoking reminder of how colonial legacies continue to shape global literary canons. Despite his undeniable genius, his works are rarely included in discussions of world literature which remain dominated by European and North American voices. This marginalisation not only undervalues his contributions but also perpetuates the lack of recognition for Latin American and Afro-descendant writers in global literary discourse.. 

Decolonising our bookshelves does not mean replacing all of our eurocentric books with ones written by more diverse authors; it simply means recognising that literary excellence is not confined to the West.

It encourages reading authors such as Machado de Assis not merely as a Brazilian writer, but as a global figure whose insights into power, identity, and human frailty resonate far beyond his time and place. 

You might be considering the end of this article and contemplating why this should matter to you.

Machado de Assis’s works are even more pivotal in today’s world where issues of race, class, and inequality continue to shape our societies. His nuanced explorations of power dynamics and his critique of ingrained hierarchies offer valuable lessons for understanding the legacies of colonialism and imagining a more egalitarian and unbiased future.

To read authors like Machado, is to engage in an act of intellectual decolonisation. It is to challenge the dominance of Western narratives and to embrace the variety of voices that define our humanity. By acknowledging and appreciating figures like Machado de Assis we not only enrich our understanding of literature, but also take a step toward dismantling the colonial frameworks that continue to shape our world.

Therefore, dear reader, consider the next addition to your bookshelf, let Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis be an important addition to your intellect; not just to the complexities of 19th-century Brazil but to the enduring truths of human nature and the ongoing struggle for justice and equality.

With knowledge and information comes power — power to pave the way toward a more harmonious world.