The Secret Cause E-Book

Machado de Assis

• Herausgeber: SAMPI Books
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 18

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

In "The Secret Cause", Machado de Assis reveals the dark side of human nature through the love triangle formed by Garcia, Fortunato, and Maria Luísa. While Garcia harbors a silent passion for the young woman, he discovers, to his horror, that Fortunato, her husband, takes secret pleasure in the pain of others. The narrative follows the contrast between genuine love and cold cruelty, culminating in the disturbing revelation of the "secret cause" that drives Fortunato: delight in suffering, which Machado exposes with subtle irony and profound moral unease.

Leseprobe

The Secret Cause

Machado de Assis

SYNOPSIS

In “The Secret Cause”, Machado de Assis reveals the dark side of human nature through the love triangle formed by Garcia, Fortunato, and Maria Luísa. While Garcia harbors a silent passion for the young woman, he discovers, to his horror, that Fortunato, her husband, takes secret pleasure in the pain of others. The narrative follows the contrast between genuine love and cold cruelty, culminating in the disturbing revelation of the “secret cause” that drives Fortunato: delight in suffering, which Machado exposes with subtle irony and profound moral unease.

Keywords

Cruelty, Obsession, Suffering

NOTICE

This text is a work in the public domain and reflects the norms, values and perspectives of its time. Some readers may find parts of this content offensive or disturbing, given the evolution in social norms and in our collective understanding of issues of equality, human rights and mutual respect. We ask readers to approach this material with an understanding of the historical era in which it was written, recognizing that it may contain language, ideas or descriptions that are incompatible with today's ethical and moral standards.

Names from foreign languages will be preserved in their original form, with no translation.

The Secret Cause

Garcia stood, staring and snapping his fingernails; Fortunato sat in the rocking chair, looking at the ceiling; Maria Luísa stood by the window, finishing some needlework. None of them had said anything for five minutes. They had talked about the day, which had been excellent—about Catumbi, where the Fortunato couple lived, and about a private clinic, which will be explained later. Since the three characters present here are now dead and buried, it is time to tell the story without embellishment.

They had also talked about something else, besides those three things, something so ugly and serious that it left them with little desire to discuss the day, the neighborhood, and the private clinic. All conversation on this subject was awkward. Even now, Maria Luísa's fingers still seem to tremble, while Garcia's face wears an expression of severity that is unusual for him. In truth, what happened was of such a nature that, in order to understand it, one must go back to the origin of the situation.