Midnight Mass

"Conceição listened, with her head resting on the back of her chair, looking at me past half-shut eyelids. From time to time she wet her lips with her tongue. When I stopped speaking she said nothing. Thus we remained for several seconds. Then she raised her head; she clasped her hands and rested her chin on them, with her elbows on the arms of her chair, all without taking from me her large, perceptive eyes."

Machado de Assis, Midnight Mass, 97

The story begins. Young cousin comes into town. Husband is having an affair with married woman. Wife is found up late with young man. 

It almost seemed too perfect. Everything was being set up for the classic short story ending of ignored wife getting revenge on husband with young, innocent boy staying with the family. As young Mr. Nogueira sits up reading so he can attend the midnight mass of the city, Conceição, the lady of the household, approaches late that night to chat.

When she first arrives, she appears eager to talk, declining several suggestions for her to retire. But after Machado de Assis writes the paragraph cited above, it suddenly seems as if she is there for some other reason. Has the long-suffering woman finally snapped? Is that just how she is and nobody knew? Does she simply just want to chat? She continues the strange and seductive behavior for quite some time as the two converse. 

Instantly, the reader expects the inevitable and awaits the adulterous scene. Several short stories, especially those of Latin American culture, were referred to in class with similar plots. In all these, the deed was almost always done. I also thought about the story of Joseph of Egypt when he was similarly approached by Potiphar's wife. In his particular story, he ends up resisting a strong attack. But still, the expectation of the seemingly inevitable was there.

Well, Midnight Mass turned out to not follow the trend. Unlike many stories that begin like this one, the end was surprising. Just when it seemed like Conceição was going to pounce,  the scene ended with the two going their separate ways as planned. Nothing happened. The night appeared to never have happened. But the reader finds himself in a fix trying to figure out the complex and masterful character of Conceição.