Appearance and Reality

The Theme in the Work

In Chapter XXXV, the narrator portrays Sofia and Cristiano Palha: he spends everything and shows her off in a low-cut dress, she likes to be seen but keeps her heart, and her eyes are compared to the lantern of an inn that has no rooms for guests.

In Chapter XLII, when Major Siqueira appears in the garden, Sofia, serene, invents the anecdote of Father Mendes to cover the delay, and Rubião, awkward, sustains the lie.

In Chapter LXII, on leaving the Atalaia, Rubião crosses paths with a baroness, sees her parked coupé, and, despite his own luxury, feels once again like the old schoolteacher from Barbacena.

In Chapter LXVII, the news of the rescue on Rua da Ajuda irritates Rubião and then flatters him, and he ends up reprinting the item in another newspaper.

In Chapter LXXIV, Carlos Maria reconstructs the previous evening in bed and laughs at the lie about the beach, which he invented during the conversation, since he never even went there. He concludes that the amendment would be worse than the sonnet.

In Chapter LXXXII, in his marriage dreams, Rubião marries only titled ladies from the Laemmert almanac, and all the brides end up with Sofia's face.

In Chapter CI, as he pays for Freitas's funeral, Rubião is taken for a senator or a judge because of the coupé.

In Chapter CV, Sofia discovers that the letter Rubião handed her was the committee's circular, thinks of Carlos Maria, and breaks the porcelain mandarin.

In Chapter CVI, the narrator tells the reader that the coachman gave no names and told no true story: the slander was the reader's and Rubião's.

In Chapter CXV, on receiving the diamond, Sofia thinks that that man adores her, and Rubião believes in her tear on the night of the dinner.

In Chapter CXVI, Rubião realizes that Maria Benedita's fiancé is Carlos Maria and that he had taken one person for another.

In Chapter CXXIX, the narrator reveals that there was no bank: Palha invented the reason for dissolving the partnership because the truth would not serve.

In Chapter CXXXIII, the legend makes Rubião the disciple of a great philosopher and the dinner guests willing disciples, when they are only guests at table.

In Chapter CXLVI, Rubião answers the French barber in Portuguese and believes he is speaking French.

In Chapter CLVI, in full mania, the table, already stripped of its silverware, seems regal to him, and the scrawny chickens, pheasants.

In Chapter CLXIII, what seemed imperious will in Sofia turns into whim, and the narrator says that the sin of thought takes refuge in the unblemished body.

In Chapter CLXXXIV, Rubião arrives at Dona Fernanda's house still an emperor, with the street turned into a palace, and whoever sees him forgets his own misery for a moment.

In Quincas Borba, appearance does not hide reality, it produces it: the coupé makes Rubião a senator, Sofia's tear becomes proof, the lie about the beach generates a true feeling, the bank that does not exist serves as the reason for dissolving a partnership, and the poor table turns regal for one who is raving. In two chapters the narrator dismantles the machinery, the coachman's and the bank's, and hands the fact over to the reader. In the others he lets appearance work, and the reader sees the machinery without being able to correct it.

Where It Appears

• Chapter XXXV: The narrator compares Sofia's eyes, inviting and only inviting, to the lantern of an inn that has no rooms for guests: she likes to be seen but keeps her heart.
• Chapter XLII: When Major Siqueira enters the garden, Sofia serenely invents the anecdote of Father Mendes to cover the delay, and Rubião, awkward, sustains the lie.
• Chapter LXII: Rubião passes on the stairs a fragrant baroness who is looking for Camacho and sees her coupé, but, despite his own luxury, feels once again like the old schoolteacher from Barbacena.
• Chapter LXVII: Rubião sees his name in the Atalaia, gets irritated, then is flattered, gently scolds Camacho, and reprints the news of the rescue in another newspaper.
• Chapter LXXIV: Carlos Maria reconstructs the ball in bed, laughs at the lie about the beach, where he never even went, and concludes that it is not worth amending, since there are beautiful lying sonnets.
• Chapter LXXXII: Rubião, in dreams, marries only titled ladies from the Laemmert almanac, and all the brides end up with Sofia's face.
• Chapter CI: Because of the coupé, the curious take Rubião, who is paying for Freitas's funeral, for a man of standing: he looks like a senator or a judge.
• Chapter CV: Alone, Sofia discovers that the paper was the committee's circular, thinks of Carlos Maria and, out of anger at herself, breaks the porcelain mandarin.
• Chapter CVI: The narrator denies the coachman's anecdote: he gave no names and told no true story, and the slander was the reader's and Rubião's.
• Chapter CXV: Rubião sends Sofia a birthday diamond and, after dinner, hears from her the explanation of the letter, given with a tear.
• Chapter CXVI: Rubião realizes that Maria Benedita's fiancé is Carlos Maria and that he had taken one person for another, but he is already planning a carriage and a gift and congratulates the girl.
• Chapter CXXIX: The narrator reveals that there was no bank: Palha invented the reason for dissolving the partnership with Rubião because the truth would not serve, and he prospers with shares and bonds.
• Chapter CXXXIII: The legend of Rubião, rich man and philosopher's disciple, attracts dinner guests, who owe him money and dine at six sharp, with or without the host.
• Chapter CXLVI: Rubião answers in Portuguese the French barber Lucien, who copies Napoleon III's bust in his beard, and believes he is speaking French.
• Chapter CLVI: With the Franco-Prussian War, Rubião reads every piece of news as a victory, and the dinner guests, promoted to marshals, do not contradict him, so that the poor table seems regal to him.
• Chapter CLXIII: The narrator shows Sofia's imperious will reduced to whim and says that the sin of thought becomes habit, with a moral refuge in the unblemished body.
• Chapter CLXXXIV: Rubião arrives at Dona Fernanda's house still an emperor, with the street turned into a palace, and whoever sees him forgets his own misery for a moment.

Passages

The narrator compares Sofia's eyes to the lantern of an inn.

The invented lie pays off as if it were true.

The coupé decides who Rubião is to passersby.

The sin of thought takes refuge in the unblemished body.