A ESCRAVA ISAURA

A Escrava Isaura 7.56 · 7.56

A babe at the breast

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Ficou ahi a pobre menina ainda de mama, e se não fosse sinhá velha, que era uma santa mulher, Deos sabe o que seria della!...

Word by word

Ficoufee-KOHwas leftahia-EEthereaathepobrePO-brepoormeniname-NEE-nachildaindaa-EEN-dastilldedeatmamaMA-mathe breast,eeandseseifnãonowngnotfosseFO-sewere it forsinhási-NYAHmistressvelhaVE-lyaold,quekewhoeraEH-rawasumaOO-maasantaSAN-tasaintlymulhermoo-LYERwoman,DeosDE-ushGodsabeSA-beknowsouwhatquekethat / whichseriase-REE-awould becomedellaDE-laof her!...

The setting

'The poor child was left behind, still at the breast, and but for old mistress, who was a saintly woman, God knows what would have become of her!...'

A note on this passage

Isaura the infant, orphaned at the breast, saved only by the old mistress's kindness — this is the origin of everything: her education, her place in the house, the very refinement that now makes her a target. The 'saintly' old mistress is the same one whose deathbed promise (to free Isaura) drives the plot. The whole novel grows from this cradle.

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