The Rod Of Justice Damiao Character Traits

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During the story The Rod of Justice by Joaquim Maria Machado De Assis, Damiao seems to be a standard, cut and dried main character, but underneath he is riddled with mystery. He must make crucial choices but remains a cowardly character. Damiao’s personality, relationships, and choices play a big part in defining him.
Throughout the story, Damiao demonstrates many facets of his personality, while he seems to be a static or flat character, not showing too many other emotions than his powerless and cowardly nature; he tends to display a hypocritical and manipulative trait.
Damiao demonstrates a weak front as shown by the fact that he is unable to face his father after he leaves seminary school nor inform his father that he does not have the desire or passion to go to seminary school. Damiao’s inability to confront Sinha Rita about not beating Lucretia is another display of weakness. Damiao lacked the courage to stand up to Lucretia and defend his morals.
Damiao displays a hypocritical nature throughout the story, wanting to be helped, but not willing to help others. Damiao goes to Sinha Rita for shelter and guidance at a critical time, but hesitates and refuses to help Lucretia in her …show more content…

Because Damiao has entrusted Sinha Rita to get his godfather to help Damiao get out of seminary school, he tries not to anger her and risk not being able to leave the school. Sinha Rita understands the predicament that Damiao is in and is willing to help him, though there are no real benefits for her. Sinha Rita is a person who offers Damiao a lot of comfort, constantly trying to cheer him up in his distressed state. Sinha Rita could possibly be lonely, shown by how she is constantly working and monitoring the slaves while they are completing their tasks and she may need something different in her life, such as Damiao, to stimulate some excitement in her life (Assis

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