Abstract
Genetic and literary criticism have been, so far, considered two distinct fields and ways of looking at literary texts. Whereas literary critics interpret the text, i.e., the result of the writing process, genetic criticism focuses on the writing itself as a process, disregarding its final product -the text as it will be read. This article examines the autograph manuscript of Esau and Jacob, held at the Brazilian Academy of Letters, to consider the possible intersection between Machado de Assis’s writing process, as seen in said manuscript, and the very reflections Machado makes in his texts, particularly those of the so-called second phase of his writing, where he discusses the theory of fiction and writing.
Keywords:
Machado de Assis; writing process; corrections; erratum