o crime do professor de matemática

• What is the main existential problem the Maths Teacher is trying to solve?

  The problem of having abandoned his dog José
• Why does the Maths Teacher bury a substitute dog?

  To atone for abandoning his own dog
• What does the Maths Teacher realize in the closing paragraph?

  No solution can ever be found, and he must live with his guilt
• What does the quote "ninguem vai para o Inferno por abandonar um cão que confiou num homem" imply?

  His crime is unpunishable by society and himself
• What does the Maths Teacher discover about his social position?

  The burden of occupying a privileged social position as a man
• What does the quote "a dívida que inquietantemente ninguém lhe cobrava" suggest about the Maths Teacher's guilt?

  He feels a debt that no one expects him to pay
• What does the Maths Teacher do to the unknown dog?


  He digs it up as part of his ritual
• What does the quote "e agora, mais matemático ainda, procurava um meio de não se ter punido" reveal about the Maths Teacher?

  He seeks a way to avoid punishing himself
• How does the Maths Teacher imagine the abandoned dog would react?

  It would come back licking his face with forgiveness
• What does the Maths Teacher's clear thinking about his desires indicate?

  He understands himself with cold clarity
• What does the Maths Teacher's nearsightedness symbolize?

  His lucidity is an obstacle to insight
• What does the dog symbolically represent in the story?

  A human partner in a love relationship
• How does the Maths Teacher overcome his grief and guilt?

  By burying a substitute dog he found on the side of the road
• What does the contrast between showing or not showing emotion reveal about the Maths Teacher?

  He is rational and acts on a cold, lucid basis
• What does the Maths Teacher try to find in the beginning of the story?

  The mathematical center of the space
• What does the quote "ha tantas formas de ser culpado…" suggest about the Maths Teacher's mindset?

  He is trying to put a scale of crimes
• What does the Maths Teacher realize about José?

  José was irreplaceable and signified a real relationship with the world
• What does the Maths Teacher's epiphany involve?

  Digging up the dead body and admitting his crime
• What does the Maths Teacher hope to achieve by digging up the dead body again?

  To cleanse himself
• What does the story suggest about the Maths Teacher's authenticity?

  He is an inauthentic human being who smothers his desires
• What does Lispector explore in the story?

  The world of the inauthentic who reject a simple, natural existence
• What are the key themes in the story of the Maths Teacher?

  • Masculinity and control
  • Guilt and atonement
  • Rationality vs. emotion
  • Inauthenticity and rejection of natural existence
  • The burden of social conventions
• How does the Maths Teacher's ritual reflect his character?

  • It shows his attempt to impose mathematical rigor and symmetry on his guilt
  • It reveals his inauthenticity and inability to truly atone
  • It highlights his cold, rational approach to emotional problems
• What is the significance of the dog in the story?

  • Symbolizes a human partner in a love relationship
  • Represents vulnerability and betrayal
  • Acts as a catalyst for the teacher's guilt and atonement
• How does the Maths Teacher's rationality affect his actions?

  • Leads him to seek mathematical solutions to emotional problems
  • Prevents him from fully engaging with his emotions
  • Results in inauthentic and empty gestures of atonement
• What does the story reveal about toxic masculinity?

  • The burden of social expectations on men
  • The suppression of emotions in favor of rationality
  • The inability to break free from imprisoning social conventions
• How does the Maths Teacher's epiphany contribute to the story's themes?

  • It highlights his realization of his inauthenticity
  • It underscores the futility of his attempts to atone
  • It reinforces the theme of guilt and the burden of social conventions
• What is the role of the dead stray dog in the story?

  • Acts as a substitute for José in the teacher's ritual
  • Represents the teacher's attempt to atone for his guilt
  • Highlights the emptiness of his gestures and the futility of his atonement
• How does the story explore the concept of guilt?

  • Through the teacher's unpunishable crime and his attempts to atone
  • By showing the contrast between societal and personal guilt
  • Through the teacher's realization of the burden of his guilt
• What does the story suggest about the relationship between rationality and emotion?

  • Rationality can be an obstacle to emotional insight
  • The suppression of emotions leads to inauthenticity
  • Emotional problems cannot be solved through rational means alone
• How does the story address the theme of inauthenticity?

  • Through the teacher's empty gestures of atonement
  • By showing his rejection of a simple, natural existence
  • Through his realization of his own inauthenticity
• What is the significance of the teacher's realization about José?

  • It highlights the irreplaceable nature of real relationships
  • It underscores the teacher's guilt and the importance of the natural world
  • It reveals the teacher's inability to fully engage with his emotions
• How does the story explore the concept of atonement?

  • Through the teacher's futile attempts to atone for his guilt
  • By showing the emptiness of his rituals and gestures
  • Through his realization that no solution can ever be found
• What does the story suggest about the burden of social conventions?

  • It highlights the teacher's inability to break free from societal expectations
  • It shows the impact of social conventions on personal guilt
  • It underscores the teacher's realization of his privileged social position
• How does the story address the theme of betrayal?

  • Through the teacher's abandonment of José
  • By showing his further betrayal in digging up the unknown dog
  • Through his realization of the unpunishable nature of his crime
• What is the role of the teacher's rationality in the story?

  • It drives his attempts to find mathematical solutions to emotional problems
  • It prevents him from fully engaging with his emotions
  • It results in inauthentic and empty gestures of atonement
• How does the story explore the concept of emotional suppression?

  • Through the teacher's cold, lucid approach to his guilt
  • By showing his inability to fully engage with his emotions
  • Through his realization of the burden of his guilt
• What does the story suggest about the nature of guilt?

  • Guilt can be unpunishable by society and oneself
  • The burden of guilt can lead to inauthentic attempts at atonement
  • Guilt can reveal the impact of social conventions on personal behavior
• How does the story address the theme of masculinity?

  • Through the teacher's desire to remain in control
  • By showing the impact of social expectations on his behavior
  • Through his realization of the burden of his privileged social position
• What is the significance of the teacher's ritual in the story?

  • It represents his attempt to impose mathematical rigor on his guilt
  • It highlights the emptiness of his gestures and the futility of his atonement
  • It underscores his inauthenticity and inability to truly atone