The Hour of the Star

The protagonist of the story within the story, Macabéa is Rodrigo’s primary, dynamic character, whom he develops over the course of the novel. Macabéa is a fictional individual in the context of Rodrigo’s account but is inspired by his brief encounter with a “northeastern” girl in the streets of Rio de Janeiro and comes to life through his writing.

As Rodrigo thinks about and then begins to write Macabéa’s story, he constantly comments on Macabéa’s character. He describes her as inexperienced and simple because she doesn’t ask herself existential questions, doesn’t understand the concept of society, and doesn’t believe in death. Additionally, Rodrigo remarks at the novel’s start that Macabéa “is so dumb that she sometimes smiles at other people on the street” even though “[n]obody smiles back because they don’t even look at her” (7). Macabéa is therefore more sensitive, docile, and gracious than Rodrigo. She has a softer personality in that she doesn’t regard the world with despair or anger. Her life has always been difficult, and she has faced great hardship and loss since her childhood in Alagoas. Despite these trials, Macabéa has never seen herself as miserable or regarded her circumstances negatively. This is, Rodrigo claims, because she thinks “people [have] to be happy” (19) and because she doesn’t think she has the luxury to be sad or to complain since she’s alone in the world, without anyone to support or care for her. Isolation and economic limitation define her life and world. She lives in a small tenement apartment with four other women, whom she rarely sees. She can’t afford quality foods and usually eats hot dogs or bologna to survive. She’s delighted when someone buys her coffee or offers her a treat because she sees such foods as delicacies of the middle class.

Macabéa’s life starts to change when she meets and begins dating Olímpico de Jesus Moreira Chaves. She’s immediately drawn to him and experiences overpowering desire for the first time in her life. Olímpico is consistently cruel to her, but Macabéa often appears unfazed by his condescension and meanness. Instead, she regards him as a better and more enlightened person than she is because he seems more worldly. Over the course of their relationship, she begins to entertain hopes of marrying him. When he abruptly breaks up with her, she’s heartbroken but doesn’t let this consume her because she’s accustomed to others’ scorn and ridicule. Soon after this, she momentarily feels better about her life when the fortune teller assures her that she’ll meet a new man, who will fall in love with her. However, she’s killed almost immediately upon exiting the fortune teller’s house. True to her character, Macabéa dies without hatred. She instead feels as if her life was transformed just before her death. Her death is therefore a pseudo rebirth.

A secondary, static character, Olímpico de Jesus Moreira Chaves is Macabéa’s boyfriend, and a foil for her character. Indeed, Rodrigo is careful to underscore Olímpico’s and Macabéa’s differences throughout their relationship. Whereas Macabéa is kind, mannerly, and gentle, Olímpico is cruel, wicked, and pompous. He does everything in his power to belittle and dismiss Macabéa. He makes fun of the questions she asks, the facts she conveys to him, and the stories she relays about her life. His character therefore highlights Macabéa’s good nature and pure spirit.

Olímpico grew up in “the backlands of Paraíba” (48), which Rodrigo considers the source of his toughness and violence. From a young age, Olímpico made a habit of stealing and attacking others. He even killed his rival in his home village and kept this crime a secret because it grants him a private sense of power and authority over others (49). In the narrative present, Olímpico works at a factory. However, he constantly tells Macabéa about all his plans for the future. He not only wants to be rich but also dreams of becoming both a bullfighter and a congressman. As Olímpico’s relationship with Macabéa develops on the page, Rodrigo begins to realize that Olímpico doesn’t truly care about Macabéa. Shortly after he has this realization, Olímpico breaks up with Macabéa and falls for Macabéa’s coworker Glória, whom he sees as being a better match for him. He does nothing to soften the blow of his rejection when he breaks up with Macabéa, instead insulting her when he tells her that he’s leaving her. He then flaunts his relationship with Glória at the office where both women work. Olímpico’s callous behavior throughout the novel is a metaphor for the indifference and cruelty of the society in which Macabéa (and by extension, Rodrigo) lives. Therefore, Olímpico’s aggressive behavior toward Macabéa symbolizes society’s hostility toward her.

A secondary, static character, Glória is Macabéa’s coworker at Lojas Americanas, where both women work as typists. Unlike Macabéa, Glória is skilled at her job, and their boss, Mr. Raimundo Silveira, approves of her work. Glória plays only a minor, peripheral role in the early portions of the narrative since few scenes occur at the office and she and Macabéa have few interactions outside the office.

This changes after Glória and Olímpico start dating. Glória’s unkindness and insensitivity become more pronounced, and Macabéa begins to realize that Glória isn’t really her friend. Whenever the two interact, Glória laughs at or makes fun of Macabéa. She teases her for wearing lipstick, makes disparaging remarks about her appearance, and dismisses her questions. Rodrigo remarks that Glória thinks “she [is] really something” (55) after she becomes involved with Olímpico. Macabéa can partly understand why because she thinks Glória is prettier and more desirable than she is. Glória is curvier and has bleached the hair all over her body to make herself more attractive. Despite her unkindness toward Macabéa, Rodrigo asserts that she’s “a cunning vixen [with] a good heart” (55). Indeed, she recognizes that she has hurt Macabéa by stealing her boyfriend. She tries to make up for this slight by assuring Macabéa that she’ll find a new boyfriend, by inviting her out for a snack, and by loaning her money to see fortune teller Madame Carlota. Thus, Glória’s duplicitous nature underscores the complexities of human nature. In addition, her character contrasts with Macabéa’s because she’s less docile and sweet than her narrative counterpart.