Abstract
Although the problems of generation and filiation are universal, Edward Said drew attention to how this topic is particularly recurrent in modernism. The same can be said about Machado de Assis' novel ensemble: the critical incidence of affiliative difficulties on all levels - narrative (narrator, plot, characters), book (author, publication, critic), and novel (problem of the supposed author and signature) - is remarkable. This article seeks to demonstrate, through Platonic authorial metaphors and concrete examples - from Ressurreição to Memorial de Aires - how the topic of challenging filiation is constitutive of Machado's novel.
Keywords:
genesis; adoption; legacy; novel; authorship