Midnight Mass Analysis

Both “The Third Bank of the River” by Juan Carlos Onetti and “Midnight Mass” by Joaquim Maria Machado De Assis centers on two young teenage boys, and how a life experience they had shaped who they have become as a man. The protagonist in the “Midnight Mass” Nogueira was a seventeen-year-old boy Nogueira from Mangaratiba who has come to his cousin’s husband house in Rio in preparation for the college entrance examination. During his visit, he had an encounter with a thirty years old married woman, and this incident changed his perspective and way of life thereafter. The second protagonist, who is the youngest of three in his family had an encounter with his father and like the first protagonist, the incident changed him.
“Midnight Mass” unfolds …show more content…
The lady he is talking about was Conceicao, the second wife of notary Menezes. Notary Menezes is also married to the protagonist cousin, who is the first wife of Menezes. Before the arrival of Conceicao, Nogueira was reading Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas, and on her arrival, she appeared in a white negligee which was little bit loosed by the waist and a bedroom slipper. Soon, Conceicao began to engage Nogueira in dirty flirtatious conversations. She flaunted her body in seductive manners showing her elbows, forearms, knees and other parts till the extent where Nogueira could not concentrate on himself anymore. He could not have a conversation with her, what he did was to repeat conversations and in some cases when they were silent forcefully laugh. In fact, he got confused to the point where he wanted to talk about the silence, but couldn’t. Earlier in the story, …show more content…
Out of the blue, the father of this boy decided to leave his family and create a new settlement on the boat he was just made. Although, he left his family, he stayed at a visible range on the river. Every day his son will go the river bank, call out his name, provide him with food and clothing hopefully, he will come back to his family. Initially, people were guessing and giving reasons for his behavior, some said he was diseased and to keep his family safe, he decided to isolate himself. Others said he was on the mission of fulfilling the promise between him and God. The protagonist mother made certain efforts to change her husband’s mind, but all failed. She provided food in places where his son can steal them for her husband, invited a priest to sanctify the river and even used soldiers to threaten her husband, but all failed. During the storm, flood and hazardous occasions he remained on the river without looking back. Indirectly, the protagonist’s father affected him. He believed he was responsible for his father’s behavior, he believed he did something wrong, and he kept on asking his father for forgiveness. In fact, while his sister got married and gave birth, his brother moved to the city and his mother also went to live with his sister. He “remained behind, a leftover.” He didn’t marry or move on with his life. He said,