The Contradictions of Science in Machado de Assis

This book explores the role of science in the short stories of Machado de Assis, focusing on works such as ‘O Alienista’ (1882), ‘A Sereníssima República’ (1882), and ‘Idéias de Canário’ (1899). It examines how Machado uses scientific theories as literary and sociological devices to critique modern state institutions, including hospitals, prisons and government-sponsored medical projects. His scepticism extends to the liberal and politically independent scientific discourse of late nineteenth-ce