A ESCRAVA ISAURA

A Escrava Isaura 8.111 · 8.111

'No weapon like cold blood'

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— que contra as coleras e caprichos femininos não ha arma mais poderosa do que muito sangue frio e pouco caso,

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The setting

that against feminine angers and caprices there is no weapon more powerful than much cold blood and unconcern,

A note on this passage

Here is the maxim itself, and it is a chillingly modern piece of misogyny: reduce a woman's protest to 'coleras e caprichos femininos' — feminine angers and whims — and defeat it with 'sangue frio e pouco caso,' cold blood and studied indifference. By naming her just grievance a mere caprice, he licenses himself to dismiss it. The strategy works precisely by refusing to grant that the anger is warranted.

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