ABSTRACT
The article offers an interpretation of Lima Barreto’s novel Triste fim de Policarpo Quaresma that considers the term mania, the word that Adelaide, Policarpo’s sister, uses to describe his thoughts and activities. It emphasizes the term’s function in the novel, especially in certain contexts and with marginal characters such as Maria Rita, Anastácio, Felizardo, and Ismênia. It also highlights the importance of Olga as a means of escaping the cycle of deceptions that the protagonist experienced.
Keywords:
Lima Barreto; nationalism; black people; indigenous people; women