A Filha do Arcediago / Terceira Edição

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

27364

Title

A Filha do Arcediago / Terceira Edição

Language

pt

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Set in 1815 Porto, this novel explores the tragic consequences of forbidden love and social hypocrisy. An elderly merchant's obsessive passion for his neighbor's daughter clashes with her genuine affection for a humble student. Through a series of letters and dramatic confrontations, the story examines the destructive power of pride, the cruelty of societal judgment, and the enduring nature of true love against overwhelming odds.

Summary up to 500 words

Set in 1815 Porto, Camilo Castelo Branco's *A Filha do Arcediago* presents a searing critique of social hypocrisy and the destructive power of rigid class structures. The narrative centers on Antonio José da Silva, a wealthy but morally conflicted cloth merchant, who is tormented by a forbidden passion for Rosa Guilhermina. Rosa, the fifteen-year-old daughter of Silva's friend, the Archdeacon of Barroso, harbors a secret love for José Bento, the son of a humble butcher. Their romance blossoms through secret conversations at their shared window, a forbidden connection that defies the social order. The central conflict arises when the Archdeacon, desperate to secure his daughter's future, attempts to marry her to the wealthy but repulsive Silva. Rosa refuses, fearing the scandal and the loss of her dignity, leading to a painful separation. Heartbroken, José Bento flees to Brazil. Years later, he returns to Porto as a wealthy nobleman and declares his love again, offering to marry Rosa. The story then shifts to a parallel narrative involving a narrator, a woman who loved the poet Paulo. She recounts her own tragic devotion to Paulo after his wife's death and her journey to Rome, where she discovers him dead, having died of a broken heart caused by his love for Rosa. The novel concludes with the revelation of the characters' fates: Rosa eventually marries José Bento and lives a respectable life, while the narrator's friend, Maria Elisa, descends into moral ruin. Through these intertwined stories, the work highlights the theme that true nobility lies in the heart, not in wealth or title. It contrasts the 'noble' but cold world of the merchant and the clergy with the passionate, albeit tragic, world of the lovers, demonstrating that love suppressed by social convention often leads to destruction. The text serves as a poignant exploration of the tension between individual desire and societal expectation.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

Download URL

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/27364.epub.noimages

Local file path

data/epubs/pg27364.epub

Download EPUB

Downloaded at

2026-07-06 15:47 UTC

Categories

• Classics
• Fiction