Modern Language Studies

Maxims in "Grande Sertão: Veredas"

Author(s): Thomas J. Braga
Source: Modern Language Studies, Vol. 22, No. 3 (Summer, 1992), pp. 76-83
Published by: Modern Language Studies
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3195221
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 Maximsin GrandeSertao: Veredas
Thomas J. Braga

When the history of twentieth-century Brazilian literature is

written in the next century, Joao Guimaraes Rosa's Grande Sertio:
Veredas will undoubtedly emerge as the single most important work of
fiction of the period. Vast and varied have been the numerous critical
works devoted to this major author who has already been proclaimed
the equal of Machado de Assis. Curiously enough, however, relatively
little attention has been accorded the didactic aspect of the novel in
general and its maxims in particular. Yet the narrator Riobaldo makes
a point quite early in the narrative of underscoring his interest in litera-
ture of moral instruction:

Em tanto,ponho primaziae na leituraproveitosa,vida de santo,virtudes

e exemplos-missionario esperto engambelando os indios, ou Sao
Franciscode Assis, Santo Ant6nio, Sao Geraldo ... Eu gosto muito de
moral. Raciocinar,exortaros outros para o bom caminho, aconselhar
a justo. (14)

Indeed, a close reading of the work reveals more than four

hundred (400)1 statements that could be qualified in varying degrees as
either maxims in the conventional sense of the word meaning "a concise
formulation of a fundamental principle or rule of conduct," or in an ex-
tended interpretation meaning moralizing in tone or perspective. Without
pretending to exhaust the subject, it is the purpose of this brief essay to
fill a real lacuna in Rosian studies by concentrating on those maxims that
deal with the four most frequently cited themes, namely (1) the sertio
and the jagunQo, (2) life and death, (3) God and the devil, and (4) love
and friendship. On another level, carefully interwoven into the text, the
maxims serve five (5) important functions that give the narrative its
structural and thematic unity. Firstly, by their sheer frequency, the
maxims establish textual coordinates by focusing attention on the four
major themes in an otherwise illusive, ambiguous and elliptical novel.
Even for Brazilian readers, Grande Sertio: Veredas presents problems
of interpretation because of its convoluted syntax and style. Riobaldo is
clearly aware that his reader-interlocutor may not fully understand what
he has to say. "Falo por palavras tortas" (457). But the maxims are very
often couched in a more succinct, simpler, and easily accessible language,
even when they imply the unintelligible: "Mas a vida nao e entendivel"
(131). Equally important, the maxims play a role of prime importance
in identifying for the reader the thread, the fil conducteur of the work,
namely that life is a dangerous business: "Viver e neg6cio muito perigoso"
(10). Secondly, the aural presence of the silent interlocutor, Doutor, is
suggested by the fact that Riobaldo tries to elicit a reassuring response
by phrasing his maxims very often in the form of a question and thereby

76
attempting to reaffirm his analysis of what has taken place: "A gente vive
nao 6 caminhando de costas?" (522). In other situations, he contrasts his
opinions with those of his friend Quelemem. This technique is further
reinforced by such expressions as "O senhor aprova?" (10) or "Senhor
o que acha?" (12). Thirdly, and most importantly, the maxims represent
a rich and varied compendium of sertanejo folklore and wisdom by
treating a great variety of subjects which give the narrative both its local
color as well as its broad universal appeal. Fourthly, structurally the
maxims appear as reference points in the work to immobilize the plot
in the eternal present while alluding to the past and future. Maxims by
their very nature are universally true, therefore, they are outside the
temporal distance of the plot: "No real da vida, as coisas acabam com
menos formato, nem acabam" (79). Fifthly, Guimaraes Rosa effectively
uses maxims in a creative use of language, "de ir ate o rabo da palavra"
to convey more than the verbal reality. As Jose Carlos Garbuglio affirms:
"O mundo e a palavra" (46). Rosa synthesizes and extrapolates experi-
ence to create another dimension, a verbal mythos in the existential
dilemma of being, not unlike the other great myth maker of Latin-
American literature Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Riobaldo invents because
"Avida inventa!... porque a vida e mutirao de todos, por todos remexida
e temperada" (430).
Riobaldo as narratoris on a difficult moral quest: "Contar e muito,
muito dificultoso" (712). He is attempting to unravel the mystery of his
experiences among the jagunfos in general and his personal moral
dilemma, specifically whether the devil exists and if so whether he has
signed a pact with him. Consequently, his desire to know is a desire to
distinguish absolutes, absolute right from absolute wrong, and the certain
from the uncertain. All the other themes directly or indirectly hinge upon
this differentiation. It is not therefore surprising that a goodly number
of maxims, some fifty (50), are devoted to the sertio and the jagunfo,
for the sertao represents the allegorical backdrop where this conflict
takes place. But the sertio as physical place cannot be circumscribed:
"Sertao e sem lugar" (331). "O sertao e do tamanho do mundo" (68). It
has neither entrance nor exit-"O sertao nao tem janelas nem portas"
(462)-because basically the sertao is within man's psyche, a mind-set:
"Sertao e dentro da gente" (289). The most typical characteristic of the
sertio as a view of life is both its illusive nature and its inherent
contradiction: "Sertao e isto, o senhor sabe: tudo incerto, tudo certo"
(146). "O sertao e confusao em grande demasiado sossego" (423). Very
often Riobaldo reverts to personification in order to give a familiar fixed
form and projection to that which is basically amorphous: "Sertao nao
e malino nem caridoso ... ele tira ou da, ou agrada ou amarga, ao senhor,
conforme o senhor mesmo" (487). The sertio surrounds and challenges
man: "Sertao 6 isto: o senhor empurra para tras, mas de repente ele volta
a rodear o senhor de lados" (267). The sertio is in perpetual agitation
because war is constantly reshaping its violent contortions: "A guerra era
o constante mexer do sertao, e como com o vento da seca e que as arvores
se entortam mais" (337). In fact, very often in the maxims the sertao is
compared to the armaments of war and violence-"O grande sertao e

77
a forte arma, Deus e um gatilho" (320)-because it is associated with the
social outcast, the criminal: "Sertao e o penal, criminal. Sertao e onde
homem tem de ter a dura nuca e mao quadrada" (102). Illusion and
contradiction, beneficence and destruction, all are reduced to one
nebulous confusion, for the sertio generally ignores the welfare of man
and recognizes no absolutes other than itself: "0 sertao se sabe s6 por
alto. Mas, ou ele ajuda, com enorme poder, ou e traicoeiro muito de-
sastroso" (497).
It is the jagunqo himself who best incarnates the enigmatic sertao-
"Jagunco e o sertao" (291)-for he has subsumed the ruggedness of the
locale by his survival mentality: "Sertao e onde o pensamento da gente
se forma mais forte do que o poder do lugar" (24). His activities are
antithetical to the constraints of society, and he exercises free will by
simply being what he is, an outlaw: "Ninguem nunca foi jagun9o
obrigado" (538). The jagunfo needs conflict, challenge and physical
hardship to define himself in opposition to the norms of social behavior:
"Que jagunqo amolece quando nao padece" (274). His happiness lies in
constant turmoil, violent movement on horseback: "Alegria do jagunco
e o movimento galopado" (526). In many ways, the JagunQo is a stoic
for whom good and evil, right and wrong, are all reduced to an amoral
neutral stance-"Jagunqo, pelo que e, quase que nunca pensa em reto"
(257)-because "Jagunco nao se escabreia com perda nem derrota-
quase que tudo para ele e igual" (52). Unlike the narrator who is
desperately trying to sort out the "why" and "wherefore" of his life, the
jagunfo does not reason why, he simply accepts the given as is: "Nao
podendo entender a razao da vida, e s6 assim que se pode ser vero bom
jagunco" (533). But like the narrator, the jagunQo is in the temporal in
a solitary wait: "0 sertao e uma espera enorme" (538). "Sertaoe o sozinho"
(289). The jagunqo-sertio bond encompasses all that is: "0 sertao tudo
nao aceita?" (455). In contrast, Riobaldo by his rationalizing is the odd
man out in this jagunfo-sertio setting for he is trying to make sense out
of, draw a conclusion from and pronounce a final judgment on what he
has seen, yet the reader is reminded that "Quem julga, ja morreu" (251).
An equal number of maxims, no fewer than forty-eight (48), are
devoted to the life-death cycle but with reference to the nexus sertio-
jagunQo. Riobaldo is seeking a philosophy of life and a classical modus
vivendi: "Aprender-a-viver e que e o viver, mesmo" (546). Curiously
enough all the characteristics evident in the maxims treating the sertio
and the jagunfo are also present in those maxims addressing the question
of life and death in general. Life is illusory-"A gente vive e mesmo para
se desiludir e desmisturar" (137)-but is ungovernable because of
constant change and an innate feeling that it really does not belong to
us: "A vida da gente faz sete voltas se diz. A vida nem e da gente" (145).
Of all the sensations associated with life, sight and speech are especially
singled out for comment: "Pouco se vive e muito se ve" (429). Death on
the other hand is realistically identified with the olfactory sensation: "A
tudo, o cheiro de morte velha. 0 mau-fetido que vai terminar mazelando
a gente" (330). But life is also a song and speech is its lyrical manifes-
tation-"Tudo, nesta vida e muito cantavel" (455)-caught in the
78
cacaphonyof constantchange and turmoil""Avida e um vago variado"
(467). Silence by contrastis associatedwith death:"Ficarcalado e que
e falarnos mortos"(43). Hope and despairare at a continualtug-of-war:
"A vida e ingratano macio de si; mas transtraza esperangamesmo do
meio do fel do desespero"(207).Life frequentlyresemblesthe devil more
than it does God: "A vida e muito discordada.Tem partes, tem artes.
Tem as neblinas de Siruiz.Tem as caras todas do Cao, e as vertentes
do viver" (471). Life is the temporalthat cannot be delayed-"A vida
nao da demoraem nada"(223)-because it hasbeen preordained:"Antes
de meninonascer,horade suamorteestamarcada"(473).Therearethree
things that life demands of us-courage, inquisitiveness,and goals: "O
correrda vida embrulhatudo, a vida e assim:esquentae esfria, aperta
e dai afrouxa,sossega e depois desinquieta.O que ela quer da gente e
coragem" (297). What life teaches us if anything is to pose further
questions:"Vivendo,se aprende,mas o que se aprende,mais e s6 a fazer
outrasmaioresperguntas"(385-386).Being ethical is not as difficult as
determining one's goals in life: "O mais dificil nao e um ser bom e
procederhonesto;dificultoso,mesmo, e um saber definido o que quer,
e ter o poder de ir ate no rabo da palavra"(162-163).
Contraryto life, death presentsless imperativesfor it is always
concealedby ourpreoccupationswith the livingand the minutiaeof daily
life: "Com os vivos e que a gente esconde os mortos"(339). Nor does
it involve a struggle;it gives itself up naturally:"Morrer,morrer,a gente
sem luxo se cede" (141). It is the instantaneouswithout forewarningor
fright:"Umhomem morremaisque vive, sem sustode instantaneamente"
(543). Thus the jagun9oby his taciturnityis more associatedwith death
thanwith life itself:"Quemvai morrere matar,pode terconversa?"(190).
Ironically,just as the sertaoreversesthe naturalorder of things,so does
death reveal contrarilythe interventionof God: "A morte e o sobrevir
de Deus, entornadamente"(305).All talk of death is by the living about
misfortunethat is always past: "A morte 6 corisco que sempre ja veio"
(200). "Amorte e para os que morrem"(223). Life like war is the given
thatneeds no furtherexplanation:"Vida,e guerra,e o que e" (214).
Withoutgoing so far as PauloHeckerFilhowho considersGrande
Sertao:Veredasthe "Faustosertanejo"of Brazilianliterature(5), it could
be easily argued that Riobaldo'smoral quest lyricallyaddressesthe key
issue of the devil's existence and his personalrelationshipwith him in
the form of a pact in generaland his pursuitof the enemy Herm6genes
in particular,the latterwho ultimatelywill causethe deathof the beloved
Reinaldo-Diadorim. The epigraph "O diabo na rua no meio do
redemoinho"repeated in the text of the narrativeclearly focuses on the
demonic intercessionof what transpiresand forms a second fil con-
ducteurin the work. No fewer than thirty-seven(37) maximsallude to
either the devil or God, or both. The ethical question invariablyleads
to an ontologicaland theologicaldilemma;if the devil exists,God exists.
In a seeming contradiction,Riobaldo transposesthe terms to suggest a
playfultwist on the subject;God existsbut the devil transcendsexistence:
"Deusexistemesmo quandonao ha. Maso dem6nionao precisade existir
parahaver-a gente sabendo que ele nao existe, ai e que ele toma conta
79
de tudo"(56).WhatRiobaldois reallyseekingis consent,permission,the
right to possess and to be what he is: "Se nao tem Deus, entao, a gente
nao tem licenca de coisa nenhuma"(56). Thus the narratorplays a cat-
and-mousegame with the reader-interlocutor2 concerningexistenceand
non-existence,the very same game that God seems to play with his
creaturesand the devil: "E preciso de Deus existira gente, mais e do
diabo divertira gente com sua dele nenhumaexistencia"(292).Riobaldo
who by temperament clearly leans towards God's existence, posits,
however, a middle ground in an attempt to place himself outside the
ontological-theologicaldilemma:"Naosou do demo e nao sou de Deus"
(461).Throughoutthe maximsGod and the devil, absolutegood and its
contrary absolute evil are depicted in anthropomorphicterms and
metaphoricalimagery.The devil manifestshimself mostly throughvery
descriptiveharshemotionalattitudesand in the form of Herm6genes's
rugged projection while God's presence is evidenced by genteel
emotionalstates more akin to Diadorim'smannerisms.The demonic is
physicalprowess, the God-likeaffective and angelic.Justas the jagun9o
incarnates all the characteristicsof the sertao, he also visually and
physicallyreflectsthe devil'sharshnessby hisbruteforceanddomination:
"Quemvence, e custoso nao ficar com a cara de demonio" (333). But
very often while the devil is brutal,God can betray:"Odiabo, e as brutas;
mas Deus e trai9oeiro!"(22). Of all the sensationsassociated with the
demonic, sight,the voyeuristicand the furtiveare singledout for special
consideration:"O diabo vige, diabo quer e ver" (510). "O diabo vige
dentrodo homem, os cresposdo homem-ou e o homem arruinado,ou
o homem dos avessos"(10). But what precisely are the featuresof the
devil'svisage? "Maisfeio no demonio e o narize os beicos"(535).God's
physical features are never alluded to directly in favor of a positive
descriptionof certainpersonalitytraitsdealingwith strongcharacterand
demeanor-above all joy and patience:"Deuse paciencia.O contrario,
e o diabo," (16) or "Deus e alegria e coragem-que Ele e bondade
adiante"(292). God is always definitive while the devil is illusive and
evasive:"Deuse definitivamente;o demo e o contrarioDele" (39). If the
devil is "doido sem cura" (219), he is no less boorish especially with
regardsto his eating habits:"Deus come escondido, e o diabo sai por
toda parte lambendo o prato"(52). Falsehoodsand the devil form one
in their reproduction-"retorce que os falsissimosdo demo se repro-
duzem"(346)-but the bountifulnessof the earth'sharvestsare a reflec-
tion of who and what God is:"Deuse umaplanta;ao.A gente-eas areias"
(318).The concept of knowledge in generaland the relationshipof man
to God in particularrequiresa habit of memory:"Atepara a gente se
lembrarde Deus, carece de se ter algum costume"(144). And if God
in his infinitewisdom knows what he knows-"O que Deus sabe, Deus
sabe" (133)-what we can know of God can only be throughinterme-
diaries:"Deus escrituras6 os livros-mestres"(326). ThereforeGod can
be interpretedin diverse ways even in man'svaried and contradictory
beliefs because he is in everything:"Deus esta em tudo-conforme a
cren,a" (291). Man'sfee will is simply an illusionfor in the final analysis
it is God who calls all the shots:"Deus e que deixa afinara vontade o

80
instrumento,ate que chegue a hora de se dancar"(289). Riobaldo's
concludingremarkson the devil fittinglycorrespondto the conclusion
of the narrativeand his moral ordeal.The devil as a distinctrealityand
absoluteoutside man'sconsciousnessdoes not exist. Like man, the devil
is a passage-"travessia": "O Diabo nao existe . . . se for . . . Existe e
homem humano.Travessia"(568).And what of God? He existsbut only
in the good deeds and misdeedsof men. The cycle is complete and Rosa
simply poses the question anew: "Que Deus existe, sim, devagarinho,
depressa.Ele existe mas quase s6 por intermedioda a9ao das pessoas:
de bons e maus"(320).
Of the four majorthemes treatedin the maxims,none has stirred
more interest than the love-friendshipdichotomy, and none explains
more cogently why Grande Sertio: Veredas is unique in the canon of
Brazilianliterature.In fact, the other three themes are intimatelycon-
nected directly and indirectlywith Riobaldo'sattractionfor Reinaldo-
Diadorim,the boy-man,man-woman,jagunco-beautydualitywith allthe
moraland estheticimplicationsof androgynyand bisexuality.Riobaldo's
quest if nothing else is an attempt to determine whether his physical
attractionfor Reinaldo-Deadorimis a manifestationof an alleged pact
with the devil. The amorousdilemma can be reduced to the two faces
of love, "amor"and "amizade."One is a foil for the other:"Amorvem
de amor"(23). But Riobaldo refuses to accept his bisexual orientation
because it is diametricallyopposed to the rugged, supermacho code of
behavior of the jagunfo. The thirty (30) maxims treating love and
friendshipreveal GuimaraesRosa as a true heir of a rich Iberianlyrical
traditionwhere the medieval cantigade amigo fuses with the pastorela
in an emotional disguise.What Riobaldo feels for Diadorim either has
no name because "Muitacoisa importantefalta nome" (102);or else it
dares not speak its name, for it is somethingmore than friendshipand
closer to passionatelove: "Ah,a flor do amor tem muitosnomes"(178).
At least one critic, notably Paulo Hecker Filho posits "homosexuality"
as the main theme of the novel but considersthe work flawed because
the authorchoosesto circumventthe realsubjectby optingfor a too facile
denouement (5). In revealing Diadorim to be a woman, Hecker Filho
believes that the narrativeis distortedand lacks verisimilitude,but one
is remindedthat "O amor s6 mente para dizer maiorverdade"(455). It
is in the classicaldefinitionof "amigo"and "amante"that one perceives
two parallel developments. The first is the Greek concept of a virile,
fraternityof combat-"Amigo era o braco e o ago" (168)-contrasting
with a more genteel and pastoral disquietude of love disguised as
friendship: "Amizade dada e amor" (146-147). The unlikely locus
amoenusof the sertaogives risenot only to a buddingromancebetween
jaguncosbut a special relationshipof equals, soul mates:"Amigo,para
mim, e so isto:e a pessoa com quem a gente gosta de conversar,do igual
o igual, desarmado"(168).
The characteristicsof "amor"and "amizade"get confused as
Riobaldo crosses the thresholdof platonic love to passionatelove. Just
as the boy Reinaldo and the jagunco Diadorim introduceRiobaldo to
beauty as reflected in the waterways, flora and fauna of the sertio, so
81
too does the "amigo"develop into the "amante."The thought of the
beloved evokes an instantaneousoutpouringof emotion:"Mas,pensar
na pessoa que se ama, e como querer ficar a beira d'agua, esperando
que o riacho,algumahora,pousosoesbarrede correr"(337).If Riobaldo
has recourse to metaphorin describinghis passion for Diadorim, it is
because all love demands comparison:"Todo amor nao e uma especie
de compara9ao?"(147). Sufferingis the sine qua non of love because
although love is a little bit of health and a respite from madness-
"Qualqueramorja e um pouquinhode sauide,um descansona loucura"
(291)-it is no less a little bit of grief and pain:"Porqued6 de amizade
e num sofrezinhosimples"(203). Often in the maximsRiobaldoalludes
to animalsto contrastthe naturalinclinationof physical love with the
socially acceptable constraintsof conjugalbonding:"O amor? Passaro
que poe ovos de ferro"(56). Love producesthe unforeseenand uncovers
the hidden:"Amizadede amor surpreendeuns senaisda alma da gente,
a qual e arraialescondido por detrasde sete serras?"(437). The homo-
erotic nature of the love-friendship theme is suggested by double
entendrecouched in animalmetaphorsof expansion:"Amore assim-
o ratoque sai dum buraquinho:e um ratazao,e um tigreleao! (399).Love
transformsboth the lover and the beloved, often encompassingcontrary
emotions and abilities:"que se teme por amor; mas que, por amor,
tamb6m,6 que a coragemse faz"(426).Love keeps one young-"O amor
geralconservaa mocidade"(491)-but also its proximityin the old may
sidetrack and delay: "Amor em perto as vezes sossega, em muitos
adiamentos-ao homem da brancabarba"(435). Love can be destruc-
tive inspite of itself: "E amor e isso: o que bem quer e mal faz" (514).
Whilelove turnsits back on all reprobation-"O amorda as costasa toda
reprova9ao"(437)-yet the lover remains always a disobedient slave:
"Quem ama e sempre muito escravo mas nao obedece nunca de ver-
dade" (516).
Love calls us in quiet, hushed tones:"Quieto,muito quieto e que
a gente chamao amor;como em quietoas coisaschamama gente"(433).
Butonce lost, love alwaysleaves an indeliblemarkin the form of an open
wound-"D6i sempre na gente, alguma vez, todo amor achavel, que
algum dia se desprezou"(488)-for the joys of love are invariablyac-
companiedby remorse:"Oamor,ja de si, e algumarrependimento"(38).
Love turnsall thoughtsand all speech to its own gallopingimperatives:
"Quandose viaja varado avante, sentado no quente, acaba o coxim da
sela fala de amores"(489). Finally,the crystallizationof love causes the
lover to overlook all flaws of character,for "S6 se pode viver perto de
outro,e conheceroutrapessoa,sem perigo de odio, se a gente tem amor"
(291). The "amigo-amante" relationshipin fact has no definitive terms
and defies explanationand justificationjust like the other three themes
underdiscussion:"Amigo-- que a gente seja,mas sem precisarde saber
o por que e que e" (168).
In conclusion,the didacticscope of GuimaraesRosa'smasterpiece
has been seen to focus on four main themes as revealed in the maxims.
More specifically, Riobaldo'spersonal moral quest is seen to revolve
aroundhis sexual attractionfor Reinaldo-Diadorimand his subsequent
82
failure in consummating that love bond: "Quem vai em cawa, perde o
que nao acha" (258). On another level, Riobaldo's long narrative repre-
sents a verbal attempt to restore Diadorim to life if only vicariously in
his injured memory and thereby join together the contrary ends of sexual
identity and fulfillment: "Como se, tudo revendo, refazendo, eu pudesse
receber outra vez o que nao tenha tido, repor Diadorim em vida?" (561).
"Viver" joins "contar" just as "cantar" and "non-entendivel" form the
unifying threads of Riobaldo's love song. The maxims crystallize not just
the narrator's moral dilemma but man's fate; on the one hand, his
obsessive desire to differentiate good from evil, and on the other, his futile
attempt to uncover any fixed moral guidelines: "Eu careqo de que o bom
seja bom e o ruim ruim. Quero os todos postos demarcados" (206). The
reader must imagine Riobaldo as a sort of Sisyphus and Orpheus, forever
recounting his lyrical adventure in an attempt to recoup a lost love and
fathom the complex and weighty enigmatic modes of human behavior
and memory. Narration thus becomes a passage, "travessia."Finally, to
paraphrase Riobaldo sententiously: contar e muito moral.

State University College, Plattsburgh

NOTES

1. I have identified four hundredand sixty-one (461) statementsthat could be

considered maxims in the broad sense of the word, treatinga great variety
of themes.
2. For an excellent analysis of the relationshipbetween the narratorand the
reader, see Luiz FernandoValente.

WORKS CITED

Filho, Paulo Hecker, "GrandeRomance: Frustraq6es."Estado de Sio Paulo,

SupplementoLiterario29 April 1973:5.
Galvao, WalniceNogueira.As Formasdo Falso. Sao Paulo:Perspectiva,1969.
Garbuglio,Jos6 Carlos. O Mundo Movente de GuimaraesRosa. Sao Paulo:
Atica, 1972.
Nunes, Benedito. O Dorso do Tigre. Sao Paulo:Perspectiva,1969.
Rosa, Joao Guimaraes.GrandeSertio: Veredas. 16thed. Rio de Janeiro:Nova
Fronteira,1984.
Valente, Luiz Fernando. "Affective Response in Grande Sertao: Veredas."
Luso-BrazilianReview 23 (Summer1986):77-88.
Vincent,Jon. GuimaraesRosa. Boston:Twayne, 1978.

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