The Alienist

between reason and madness in Simão Bacamarte

Abstract

The short story The Alienist was written by Machado de Assis and published between 1881 and 1882, with the protagonist Simão Bacamarte, the alienist, who can be understood as the precursor of the psychiatrist. Bacamarte occupies a prominent place in the village of Itaguaí, in Rio de Janeiro, after returning from his studies in Europe. He installed the Orates house or Casa Verde, an asylum to treat the mental health of those considered alienated. With the support of councilors and the local population, he was successful, but he became obsessed and ended up interning almost all of the residents. The bibliographic review methodology was used, which aims to survey materials related to the study topic. Thus, this article aims to analyze Machado's work in its critique of sanity and madness, reflecting on the role and authority of the psychiatrist, in addition to thinking about the model of hospitalization in asylums and hospices. Nowadays, after several laws and decrees, studies and greater understanding of mental issues, patients no longer live in these places, undergo follow-up care and receive compulsory medication. It is a fact that these treatments still need improvements and refinement.