The Education of Stuffed Shirts: Machado's Reception in the United States

Abstract

This essay discusses the reception of Machado de Assis in the United States. Focusing on the 1881 short story, "A Teoria do Medalhão", I argue that the real "medalhões" are in the North American academy, those readers and critics who, I predict, are going to have trouble appreciating the brilliance and originality of the Brazilian master.