The present work descends from a comparative analysis between a short
story from Machado de Assis, O Alienista (The Alienist), and a novel from
Lima Barreto, O triste fim de Policarpo Quaresma (The sad end of
Policarpo Quaresma). The main goal was to study the leading characters‘
profiles in the aforementioned literary works, as their peculiarities and
actions were addressed. We also focused on the way Simão and Policarpo
represented the nineteenth century, especially on how Science and
Nationalism were treated in that context. We took into account that during
the nineteenth century the western civilization was under a scientific
revolution, driven by Charles Darwin‘s theories (Evolutionism); at the same
time, new nations were rising after gaining freedom from European
colonization. Our stepping stone was the emancipator movement that
brought the notion of nationalism, as these new nations became active
players in the global political landscape. The study compares two very
ambitious characters, both men who are erudite and have fixed ideas
(whims).
