A ESCRAVA ISAURA

A Escrava Isaura 9.39 · 9.39

'The liveliness of your spirit'

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Minha mãe vendo a tua linda figura e a viveza de teo espirito,— talvez por não ter filha alguma,—

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MinhaMEE-nyaMymãemãymothervendoVEN-duseeingaato / at / ontuaTU-ayourlindaLEEN-dalovelyfigurafi-GU-raformeiandaathevivezavi-VE-zalivelinessdediofteoTE-uyourespiritoesh-PEE-ri-tuspirit,—talveztal-VESHperhapsporpurfornãonãunotterterhavingfilhaFEE-lyadaughteralgumaal-GU-maany,—

The setting

My mother, seeing your lovely form and the liveliness of your spirit, — perhaps for having no daughter of her own, —

A note on this passage

Leôncio changes strategy, invoking his mother's love as precedent. He credits Isaura's 'linda figura' and the 'viveza de teo espirito' — her lovely form and lively mind — with winning the old mistress's heart, the childless woman filling an empty place. The recollection is true (Chapter VIII confirmed the mother 'amava e idolatrava' Isaura), which makes it dangerous: he builds his seduction on a real love, meaning to twist it toward a false conclusion.

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A Escrava Isaura 9.39 — The Great Library Project interlinear edition · greatlibraryproject.com/book/escravaisaura/9.39/